TAXPAYERS could have to foot a £50 million bill for the National Assembly's new debating chamber in Cardiff as the 'hole in the ground' saga drags on.

This is twice the estimate given for the building in November 2000 - and it won't be complete until July 2005.

The new estimate was given by builders and politicians today as the Assembly was vindicated in the latest report on the controversial scheme.

The original costing was put at £26.7 million in November 2000. A further estimate, in June 2001, was between £37 million and £47 million. The first completion date was April 2001, later revised to January 2003.

Blaenau Gwent AM Peter Law and Tory AM William Graham say the eventual cost could be around £50 million.

Mr Law, the Labour AM for Blaenau Gwent, said: "As far as I'm concerned I never voted for it and the whole thing is overshadowed by technicalities.

"It looks quite possible the final cost will be double the original figure."

William Graham, Conservative AM for South Wales East and a Newport councillor, said he could see the final cost rising to £50 million and that he would like to see the project scrapped altogether.

The Auditor General for Wales, Sir John Bourn, said today that the Assembly was right to seek adjudication on the claim by architect Lord Richard Rogers for return of fees after his design was rejected.

The Assembly lost its appeal - it also claimed damages of its own - and had to pay back £448,000 of the £529,000 claimed. Its legal bill for the abortive appeal was £267,000.

Despite the result, Sir John said the Assembly had been justified on value-for-money grounds in deciding to contest the claim.

"However, as time passes, the date when the Assembly is likely to take up occupation of the new building is further delayed," he warned.

The Assembly hopes to award a building contract next July for completion of a building in July 2005 and an official opening in August.

None of the builders the Argus spoke to yesterday would be quoted on an estimate but said the upper limit of the Assembly's own estimate was "pretty accurate".

One said: "It will depend on what the fine details are but I think the Assembly was covering itself in giving £47 million as the upper limit last year."

An Assembly spokesman said no further estimate would be given until the contract tenders are received.

* In the picture: The site prepared for the Assembly debating chamber.