Wembley 'on time' despite confusion

CONSTRUCTION group Multiplex said today it still expects to complete the £750m Wembley National Stadium on time even though it has not finalised terms with new contractor Hollandia.

Multiplex has dumped the project's steel contractor Cleveland Bridge. However, it denied reports that it had signed a deal with Dutch company Hollandia as a successor to Cleveland Bridge.

'Nothing has changed from our point of view,' a company spokeswoman said from Multiplex headquarters in Sydney.

'This shouldn't affect the completion date,' the confirmed the Australian group had fallen out with Cleveland Bridge, which designed and built the stadium's arch but said it was still in negotiations with Dutch firm Hollandia to take over.

'We're still in discussions,' the spokeswoman said. 'Anything else is in the realm of speculation.'

The statement appears to be at odds with the Football Association which last week spoke of the Hollandia appointment as a fait accompli. The FA said it was confident the dispute would not cause delays, partly because Hollandia had taken on many of the staff hired by Cleveland Bridge.

The stadium is due to open in time for the FA Cup Final in 2006, but last week former Health Secretary Alan Milburn warned that delays were inevitable.

He was briefed by Cleveland Bridge, which is based in Darlington, County Durham, part of his constituency. He warned of delays of up to nine months.

Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has sought urgent assurances from Multiplex that the stadium will be finished on time.

'This is an important project and there is £120m of Lottery money in it. The minister has been assured there will be no delay,' said a spokesman for Jowell.

Jowell, who is at the Olympics in Athens, told reporters over the weekend that she had been told there would be no delay, a position backed up by a Wembley spokesman, who said the current dispute would be 'forgotten'.

Cleveland raised the £65m arch over the 90,000-seat stadium before being dumped and says it has issued a writ against Multiplex.

Multiplex last week denied that it had received any legal submissions from Cleveland Bridge.

Milburn has called on the FA to consider investigating the background to the dispute and its consequences and said that Cleveland Bridge had assured him that it was ready to negotiate.

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