Lord Falconer has confirmed the government’s sale of the Millennium Dome to development consortium Meridian Delta.
This afternoon’s announcement officially secures Meridian Delta, a consortium comprising Australian group Lend Lease, Quintain Estates and US entertainment mogul Philip Anschutz, as developer for the 188-acre (76ha) Greenwich Peninsula site.
It also finalises the controversial profit-share deal with the government which was announced last December.
Under the proposals the government will receive no money up front for the site, but will take a share of the profits after 2004 once the planned 20,000-seat arena is operating.
Last year Lend Lease’s David Hutton said the government could receive “as much as £500m” over 20 years.
The government has so far spent over £650m of public money on the Dome, although Opposition spokesmen claim the figure is closer to £800m.
The consortium plans a £4bn mixed-use development at the derelict site.
Lend Lease has already submitted a Scoping Opinion to Greenwich council, as a precursor to an outline planning application and the accompanying environmental impact statement.
The statement confirms Meridian Delta’s plans to turn the Millennium Dome into a 20,000-seat arena, surrounded by over 3m sq ft of mixed-use development, including between 6,500 and 7,800 houses.
Andrew Parker, planning officer for the Peninsula site at Greenwich council, said: “We expect Meridian Delta’s outline planning permission and EIA in the summer.”
Falconer has denied that the government agreed to build a bridge or tunnel between the Greenwich Peninsula and Silvertown Quay on the north bank of the Thames as a £200m ‘sweetener’.
Although proposals for a bridge have been put forward by Mayor for London Ken Livingstone, Falconer said that it was a matter for the GLA and not an issue for the government.
Meridian Delta’s plans for the Peninsula site include a crossing, as yet unbuilt, between the Dome site and the north bank of the Thames.
EGi News 29/05/02
