Lord Rogers' design was originally picked for the new chamber

Assembly Members approved the plan by 46 to 12 in a Tuesday afternoon vote at the current, temporary chamber in Cardiff Bay.

Builders could now be back on the proposed site - dubbed Wales' most expensive hole in the ground - as early as August.

It would bring to an end a series of false starts and cost rises.

The new bill is almost five times the original �12m cost - but this time comes at a fixed price.

Increase

The asking price now is �41m plus VAT, bringing the total to around �48m.

Added to that is �7.5m already spent on foundations two years ago, bringing the overall cost to �55m.

No-one likes a public building when it's being built - only when it's complete does it grow in people's affection Mike German, Liberal Democrat

Taylor Woodrow will have to bear the cost of any overruns in the price. The building is expected to be ready in July 2005.

First Minister Rhodri Morgan said a re-design to consider anti-terrorist security meant an increase of �5m.

He said the Welsh construction industry would benefit from a �15m investment, and the building would be "lean, clean green".

"For the first time, we have this certainty," Mr Morgan said, arguing the Scottish Parliament's cost had risen to �375 because it was not using a fixed-price system.

Reaction

Tory assembly leader Nick Bourne labelled the plan a "monstrous waste of money", urging ministers to tackle health, education and rural policies instead.

AMs are set to leave their current chamber

Conservatives, who all voted against the project, also called it a "gold-plated talking shop".

Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones said he would not be celebrating until the new building is turned into "a proper parliament for Wales".

He said AMs should be proud about moving from the current "pile of red bricks" to a new chamber for Wales.

Affection

Liberal Democrat assembly leader Mike German said the assembly was, at its inception, handed a contract for which the costs were always likely to run away.

"No-one likes a public building when it's being built - only when it's complete does it grow in people's affection," he said.

He forecast "substantial income to Wales from this building as visitors come here from around the UK and beyond", likening it to the Millennium Stadium.

Labour's Blaenau Gwent AM Peter Law said the �55m could instead be used to target social deprivation.

"It will be a bauble of self-indulgence," he said, adding his party had failed the people of Wales by "squandering" the money on a "narcissistic extravaganza".

Costs

The land earmarked for the new figurehead chamber was originally bought for �1 in 1998.

Rhodri Morgan is certain of the new project's cost

Soon after, acclaimed architect Lord Richard Rogers won a contest to design the chamber, with some �12m set aside.

But costs rose to �26.7m by November 2000 and a later estimate put the real figure at �37m to 47m.

In July 2001, Lord Rogers' firm was sacked from the project after ministers grew concerned about the escalating estimated costs.

In January, 2002, it was announced the firm was back on board as part of a consortium bidding to build the chamber again.

The Welsh Assembly Government named construction firm Taylor Woodrow as the winning bidder, with the Richard Rogers Partnership a consultant.