MPs and peers have been presented with options to restore the Palace of Westminster, with costs reaching nearly £40bn and timelines extending up to 61 years. The Restoration and Renewal Client Board outlined two main proposals: a full decant, where both Houses vacate the palace, and a staged approach with ongoing occupation.
The full decant option would take 19 to 24 years and cost up to £15.6bn, while the staged option could span 38 to 61 years and cost up to £39.2bn. Initial phase one works, lasting seven years and costing up to £3bn, include refurbishing the Victoria Tower interior, building a Thames jetty for river deliveries, and starting underground tunnel shaft construction.
Under the full decant, Commons business would move to the Northern Estate from 2032, with the Lords relocating to the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre. The current weekly maintenance cost of £1.5m is deemed unsustainable, with the palace facing heating failures in the Lords, sewerage issues, and toilet losses due to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.
Since 2016, there have been 36 fire incidents, 12 asbestos incidents, and 19 stonemasonry incidents. The debate over the revamp has persisted for years due to costs and concerns about the historic World Heritage Site. A 2018 plan for both Houses to move temporarily was revisited amid cost worries.
