Row looms over disposal of £150m Dome contents

The sale of the Millennium Dome, which is being conducted by Government agency English Partnerships, is mired in confusion over who will be responsible for disposing of its contents.

The different bodies involved with the Dome have conflicting views on what should happen to its contents – which cost more than &£150m to build – after it is sold.

Some zones are likely to be destroyed, while exhibits in other zones may be sold or given away. But it is unclear who will be responsible for this.

English Partnerships is reviewing bids to run the Dome from January 1. It must choose between Nomura, with its Dome Europe bid, and Legacy, which plans to turn the site into a hi-tech business park.

The body will make its recommendation to a ministerial committee, which is planning to announce its decision later this month.

Dome Europe says it would keep about a third of the Dome’s contents if it wins. It is unable to explain what will happen to the rest.

English Partnerships says the winning bidder will buy the Dome site and all of its contents, except for two zones designed by Imagination: the Journey Zone, sponsored by Ford, and the BT-sponsored Talk Zone. The sponsors will be responsible for disposing of the contents of these zones.

A Millennium Commission spokeswoman says: “Any contents left in the Dome after the sell-off will be the responsibility of the New Millennium Experience Company.”

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