Supporters of plans for a Millennium Centre in Oxfordshire must raise at least £4.5m from scratch if the project is to go ahead, a new report reveals.

Oxford City Council faced strong criticism last year after it agreed to spend £50,000 on a feasibility study into a proposed hi-tech centre for advice and learning.

The completed study, secretly obtained by the Oxford Mail, recommends an eight-point strategy, with the funding of the scheme the biggest challenge.

Consultants say the best place to build the centre is west of the city centre.

One possibility outlined in site proposed in the report is the redevelopment of the corridor of land between the western end of George Street, Nuffield College and the soon-to-be built Said Business School.

The capital cost of the 4,000 sq metre building is expected to be £4.5m, with running costs and on-going funding requirements of more than £200,000 a-year.

The Oxford Millennium Centre Charitable Company has been set up, and has the immediate goal of raising £50,000 by the autumn to keep the project alive.

The proposed 11-man board includes Nuffield College warden Prof Tony Atkinson, Oxford Citizens' Advice Bureau chairman, Mr Robin Birch, and Said Business School director Prof John Kay. The report concludes: "This is an achievable project - albeit one with significant challenges - which holds many benefits for the for the people of Oxford.

Oxford Labour councillor Dr Bob Hoyle, who originally proposed the Millennium Centre, said he was "positive" cash could be raised for the project - despite already being turned down by the Millennium Commission.

He said: "This study has been worthwhile. The trust is being set up and the trustees will look at the issues raised. I think there is a possibility that it could be built by the end of the year 2000."

Liberal Democrat group leader Mrs Corinna Redman, who originally criticised the study as a waste of money, said: "We will be looking at whether the nature of the project is the same as it was. The research and education side of the project appear to have rather taken over the advice side."

Story date: Saturday 30 January

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.