English Partnerships have reduced the monthly net running costs of the Dome

2.21  Responsibility for managing and maintaining the Dome passed to English Partnerships from the New Millennium Experience Company in July 2001. Costs to English Partnerships reached some £7.5 million, (Figure 5), by mid 2004. English Partnerships have had to maintain the Dome for longer than expected, because of the duration of the sale process, and total operating costs have therefore risen.

2.22  English Partnerships investigated the potential for running temporary events within the Dome, to minimise their net costs while a permanent solution was found. They found that the Dome could generate a net contribution to running costs from 'one-off' events. English Partnerships have acted as landlord only, rather than bear the risks of managing its own events. Those held have included New Year's Eve parties, and sporting events in June 2002. Total net revenue generated from events by English Partnerships is some £1.4 million. Such events have assisted in English Partnerships reducing the net monthly running costs of the Dome since they took over from a monthly average of £317,000 under the New Millennium Experience Company in February to June 2001, to some £168,000 per month, (See Figure 13).