Each year Parliament delays deciding how to proceed with the Palace of Westminster restoration could add up to £420 million to the program’s potential lifetime cost, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said.
The PAC’s report describes this as a possible addition to the program’s total lifetime cost for each year the decision is put off. It projects weekly maintenance spending will rise from £1.5 million to £2 million. The report was published Nov. 4.
Moving a vote from the expected earlier timetable to the end of 2026 could add up to £290 million, including inflation, the committee said. It warned that delay could leave the Palace in managed decline and expose it to a catastrophic event that threatens lives and interrupts the functioning of UK democracy. The committee said taxpayers and future generations would face serious consequences if the program remains stalled.
The Guardian reported that fire patrols operate around the clock at the Palace to reduce fire risk. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, warned of “real and rising risks” from a fire comparable to the one at Notre Dame, the committee said in a news release.
The proposed next step is to advance two of four delivery options and seek approval for a seven-year initial works phase capped at £3 billion. The PAC did not endorse either option recommended by the Client Board. Its estimates for the proposed plans span 19 to 61 years.
The board recommends developing a full decant plan, estimated at £11.1 billion to £15.6 billion over 19 to 24 years, and an Enhanced Maintenance and Improvement Plus plan, estimated at £19.5 billion to £39.2 billion over 38 to 61 years. Parliament’s final decision is expected by 2030.
