The development is the latest Millennium Commission-funded project to be surrounded in controversy, following the financial woes of the Dome and the structural problems of the Millennium Bridge, which was designed by Lord Foster, the architect of the British Museum's new glass roof.

BBC: British Museum opens to controversy

Mr Guenier said Taskforce 2000, which was set up by the last Tory government, also feared international banks might suffer from problems associated with the millennium bug.

BBC: Publicity campaign 'trivialises' Y2K

Whether anyone can fulfill the dreams of African solutions to African problems is Kenya's challenge in the next millennium.

CNN: Kenyans, independent, still seek some freedoms

The Dome, based in Greenwich, London, has been plagued by media criticism and cash-flow problems since it opened with a chaotic opening night on Millennium Eve.

BBC: Dome chief resigns