A WAR of words has started after a Government agency's controversial decision to rent out the Millennium Dome for a cut-price New Year bash.

The row centres on how much clubbing empire Ministry of Sound is paying English Partnerships, which maintain the Dome, for an all-night party.

Ministry's glitzy bash will make it an estimated £2m in ticket sales alone but is understood to be renting the Dome for the entire night for just £5,000.

The figure has infuriated the Greater London Assembly which declared the price "an outrage" following an emergency motion to discuss the controversial deal. Members were even more furious as the monthly upkeep of the Dome is believed to be around £1.8m a figure hotly disputed by English Partnerships which puts it at £24,000.

At the Assembly's emergency motion, Labour GLA member for Greenwich Len Duvall joined Conservative members in condemning English Partnerships' behaviour.

He said: "When the Dome is running at such an extraordinary loss, £5,000 seems a very small charge for an evening that will prove so profitable for the club."

An English Partnerships spokesman would not confirm how much Ministry, owned by Lord James Palumbo, had paid for the upcoming event.

The new row follows controversy over last year's dealings between the Government agency and Ministry.

Pierre Yves-Gerbeau, who was drafted in to reverse the fortunes of the blighted attraction, lobbied Lord Palumbo, to move his club into the Greenwich Peninsula site.

English Partnerships was again unable to confirm how much money had been paid by Ministry for the same event last year.

Greenwich Council has approved the end of year celebration, which is expected to attract 40,000 revellers.

The party starts at 7pm on New Year's Eve and runs until 9am on New Year's Day.

December 19, 2001 10:30