Palace of Westminster Restoration: £40bn & 61 Years?

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Palace of Westminster Restoration Projected to Cost Up to £40 Billion, Take Decades

A extensive report reveals that restoring the historic Palace of Westminster could require up to £40 billion and take provided that 61 years, sparking criticism over the project’s scale, cost, and lack of clear accountability. Lawmakers are now faced with choosing between two drastically different plans to address the building’s critical state of disrepair.

Did you know? – the Palace of Westminster has been the meeting place of the UK Parliament for over 900 years,though the current building dates primarily to the mid-19th century.

Two decant Options on the table

The restoration and renewal client board has narrowed down the options from four to two, both involving significant disruption to parliamentary proceedings. The first,a “full decant,” would see both the House of Commons and the House of Lords temporarily relocate. The Commons would move to a new facility on the Palace of Westminster’s Northern Estate, while the Lords would convene at the nearby QEII conference center starting in 2032. This option is estimated to take 19 to 24 years and cost up to £15.6 billion.

Alternatively, a “staged decant” proposes vacating the House of Lords for a period of 8 to 13 years, with the Commons temporarily occupying the Lords Chamber for up to two years. This more protracted approach is projected to take 38 to 61 years and reach a total cost of up to £39.2 billion.

Pro tip – Parliamentary sessions could continue during restoration under the “staged decant” plan, minimizing disruption to legislative work.

Urgent Repairs to Begin as Soon as 2026

Before a final decant plan is selected by mid-2030, MPs and peers are being asked to approve an initial £3 billion for essential restoration work. these immediate repairs, slated to begin as early as 2026 if approved, include refurbishing the interior of the Victoria Tower, constructing a river jetty on the Thames for deliveries, and initiating the excavation of underground tunnel shafts. The work is expected to last seven years.

A Building in Crisis

The report underscores the increasingly critical condition of the Palace of Westminster, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Officials are currently spending £1.5 million each week on maintenance and repairs – a figure that represents a 70% increase between 2021 and 2024. The building, largely Victorian in construction, suffers from a multitude of issues, including ancient wiring, the presence of asbestos, and unsafe masonry, raising concerns about a potential catastrophic incident.

Recent problems include frequent heating failures in the House of lords, issues with the sewerage system, and the closure of toilets due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Since 2016, the estate has experienced 36 fire incidents, 12 asbestos-related incidents, and 19 instances of stonemasonry failure.

Reader question – The palace contains over 1,000 rooms, making it the second-largest building by area in the United Kingdom after Buckingham Palace.

Concerns Over Governance and Cost

Despite the urgency, the proposed plans have drawn sharp criticism. Jesse Norman, the shadow speaker of the house, expressed alarm over the lack of openness and accountability surrounding the project.”The costed proposals report is asking parliamentarians to approve eye-watering expenditures […] on a project with unclear governance, limited scrutiny and low confidence of effective project or cost management,” Norman stated.

Norman, a member of the House of Commons commission responsible for the palace’s upkeep, also voiced concerns