Renovating Parliament
- Rupert Harding
- 1 day ago
- 1 min read
Ok, it is alot of building - over 1.2m sq ft! But £40b to renovate the Houses of Parliament (a mere £33,333 per sq ft - if I have my decimal point in the right place for the UK billion)? Someone is taking the mick! Maybe the "powers that be" should get a couple more builders to quote! Maybe they should take some advice from members of the RICS residing in the building opposite!
The £40b amount currently quoted for a total refurbishment (which the buildings apparently urgently need) would make it the world's second most expensive building cost (second only to the $120b committed and due to complete shortly at Masjid al-Haram).
This cost also puts the renovation of our government's home well ahead of the £30b that has been committed to build the new Hinkley power station in Somerset from scratch! And a mere 25% of what we spend maintaining the entire NHS portfolio each year!
Is this a sensible use of public funds when availability of same is currently so hard to come by? Someone obviously thinks so......however, no need to rush into action as apparently it is going to take about 4 years to make a decision!
Photograph: Casper Douglas Photography
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