A December vote would allow contractors to begin a program of work, including procurement processes and building surveys, estimated to cost £3 billion over seven years. But it would not determine the final option for wholesale restoration, which will only be decided in 2030.
The eventual options will be a “full decant” where all MPs move to another building and a program known as “enhanced maintenance and improvement plus” which would allow the House of Commons to remain in the Palace throughout the works.
Two of the three people cited above said Conservative Party bosses intend to instruct their MPs to block preparatory works. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said earlier this year that restoration plans were “out of control” and had “turned into a basket case white elephant project.”
A report published Wednesday by the cross-party public accounts committee said: “Without action, at best the Palace will be in a process of managed decline. At worst, a catastrophic event could occur that endangers lives and interrupts the functioning of democracy in the U.K.”
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, a Tory MP who chairs the committee, told POLITICO they were “very keen that the government gets on, has this debate, has a vote, and phase one starts.”
Corridors in the Palace’s sprawling basement are currently so packed with gas lines, water pipes, electrical wiring and redundant infrastructure that workers can only walk down them in single file. It has a misting system to mitigate the risk of fire, and extra safety measures have been introduced in recent years to guard against falling masonry that has come loose on several occasions.