Owen John Thomas: Centre assurances sought

The prestigious 2,000 seat theatre and performance venue was set to be built on a prime piece of land in Cardiff Bay.

But a deal between site owners Grosvenor Waterside and the Wales Millennium Commission has fallen through.

Cardiff Council stepped in to try and buy the land, but the site was placed on the open market.

Mr Thomas told BBC News Online Wales that he was confident the council's package could be agreed to by the end of the month.

'A winner'

"Grosvenor Waterside has a great deal to benefit from this," said Mr Thomas, Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales Central.

"You are not going to get a better project on the site than this.

"We are talking about raising the GDP of Wales and we have to be prepared to do things such as this that will bring that about.

"Once it is given the go ahead, the centre will be a winner."

Rhodri Morgan: Project must learn lessons

Last week, Mr Morgan said he was determined not to create a Millennium Dome in Wales.

He was speaking after the release of a critical report on the funding of the proposed Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay.

Mr Morgan said the release of �15m of assembly funding would not happen until he had received a robust cost estimate for the project.

But he ruled out pulling the plug on the scheme and said that would only happen if further investigations revealed funding problem "horrors".

He said the WMC must learn the lessons of other ill-fated millennium projects and must have a robust business plan.

Mr Thomas said the assembly's input of between �15-16m would be a key step forward for the project.

"It would help draw upon funds from other areas. We hope to get this flagship building, which will enhance Cardiff Bay and the city."