A project to repair the Palace of Westminster, estimated to cost £39 billion, faces increased scrutiny from lawmakers concerned about its escalating budget and the use of bureaucratic jargon. Some officials have been involved with the restoration and renewal (R&R) project for 14 years, with the earliest possible start date now projected for 2032.
During a meeting of the public accounts committee, project managers Charlotte Simmonds, managing director of the R&R client team, and Russ MacMillan, chief executive of the R&R delivery authority, presented details of the ongoing work. They employed a vocabulary that included terms such as 'resilience,' 'full decant,' 'strategic estates,' and 'design maturity,' which drew criticism for obscuring clarity.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the committee, questioned the basis for the £3 billion figure proposed for the first phase of the works. Simmonds outlined costs including £320 million for designers, £90 million for surveys, and £70 million for a temporary jetty on the Thames, alongside £328 million allocated for storing heritage items. Even clearing the palace's current spine road is estimated to cost £30 million.
Lawmakers also expressed concerns about the vagueness of the project's costings and supervision. Catherine McKinnell noted potential for 'elasticity' in the figures, while Sarah Hall raised doubts about cost oversight. Simmonds responded that costs would be 'profiled' and emphasized that the initial phase was a 'pragmatic way to get momentum on this programme.'
Critics suggest that approving the initial £3 billion phase could commit Parliament to the larger, long-term expenditure. The project has been in discussion for over a decade, with the Establishment acknowledging the need for significant investment in the palace's infrastructure, including its towers and pipework.