lancs blue
Well-Known Member
Nah, keep them in London, who'd want that bunch of sleazebags living and working in their local area?
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Houses or Parliament Restoration
- Thread starter bluethrunthru
- Start date
Trevor Morley's Tache
Well-Known Member
I've been in the Houses of Parliament. Parts of it are okay, parts of it not so good. Retrofitting modern office spaces, modern heating systems and upgrading/replacing the electrical systems in a historical building is a huge undertaking which has to be done sympathetically whilst maintaining the functionality of the building. There is also asbestos in parts of the building which puts the costs up massively.
A lot of the government estate has been/is going through an upgrade program. The FCDO, King Charles Street (just next to Downing Street, and down form the H of P) is about to complete a long running improvement program which has had similar issues to what the H of P will face.
The alternative is to sell off the real estate to the highest bidder and use the funds to build new facilities. I can't see that happening in the next 50 years.
A lot of the government estate has been/is going through an upgrade program. The FCDO, King Charles Street (just next to Downing Street, and down form the H of P) is about to complete a long running improvement program which has had similar issues to what the H of P will face.
The alternative is to sell off the real estate to the highest bidder and use the funds to build new facilities. I can't see that happening in the next 50 years.
Churchlawtonblue
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 17 May 2009
- Messages
- 15,053
Interesting to see where these costs lie. As always I suspect the people who are in charge of the purse strings in the public sector don't understand how to procur works, and the contractors are pricing things on day rates and not fixed sums. This is happening on HS2 and Hinckley point PS. Both projects have been very poorly managed and as a consequence are massively over budget.
Secondly I suspect some of this work is actually unnecessary, for example I read that there was asbestos in the parliament buildings and that they were removing it all. This compares with the much cheaper option and minimum legal HSE requirement to manage the asbestos correctly to prevent risk. The second option is the one most public buildings including schools have to adopt as they dont have the budget to remove all the asbestos. One rule for MPs one for the rest of us.
Secondly I suspect some of this work is actually unnecessary, for example I read that there was asbestos in the parliament buildings and that they were removing it all. This compares with the much cheaper option and minimum legal HSE requirement to manage the asbestos correctly to prevent risk. The second option is the one most public buildings including schools have to adopt as they dont have the budget to remove all the asbestos. One rule for MPs one for the rest of us.
BlueAnorak
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 31 Oct 2010
- Messages
- 28,117
Complete waste of money to restore.
Remove and preserve the adornments and other quality stuff.
Totally gut the inside of the building and rebuild using proven modern tech (don't use unproven tech - don't want another RAAC concrete issue). Office space and utilities are all modern
Restore adornments.
Looks similar and cost is minimised.
Remove and preserve the adornments and other quality stuff.
Totally gut the inside of the building and rebuild using proven modern tech (don't use unproven tech - don't want another RAAC concrete issue). Office space and utilities are all modern
Restore adornments.
Looks similar and cost is minimised.
Last edited:
Blue and true
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 13 Feb 2015
- Messages
- 3,298
That would require common sense. Something void in modern politics.Crazy - build a new Parliament in Stoke (or somewhere else where land is cheap.) Make it so every MP has their own seat and desk and have electronic voting. Stop trying to live in the Middle Ages.
Brewster's millions
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 9 Apr 2012
- Messages
- 3,960
Some people just want to turn the country into one of these beige nondescript places with no tradition and no history to speak of.Getting rid of MP's I would agree with, most are truly useless. However our history is our history. This building is an important part of our history and IMHO it needs to be kept and made good for the next couple of hundred years.
If we bulldoze it (You know that is never happening right>) what will the mini che's have to burn down at the start of the revolution :)
Anyone wanting to move away from the HoP just needs to watch 5 minutes of Holyrood. Absolutely horrendous.
mexico1970
Well-Known Member
Some people just want to turn the country into one of these beige nondescript places with no tradition and no history to speak of.
Anyone wanting to move away from the HoP just needs to watch 5 minutes of Holyrood. Absolutely horrendous.
It's like a massive staff canteen, black rod wouldn't be the same opening that every session.
Dave Ewing's Back 'eader
Well-Known Member
Yer right, m. When it comes to MPs there is no limit to what the public can pay, nor any element of luxury that can't be include.Some people like a bit of history, not everything needs to be austere and built on the cheap. The cost for this renovation is spread over 76 years it's not like it's being refurbished by wimpys in an 18 month timescale.
jimharri
Moderator
Behave yourself. Who'd want to work in Stoke?Crazy - build a new Parliament in Stoke (or somewhere else where land is cheap.) Make it so every MP has their own seat and desk and have electronic voting. Stop trying to live in the Middle Ages.
Just joking, me ducks.
mexico1970
Well-Known Member
Yer right, m. When it comes to MPs there is no limit to what the public can pay, nor any element of luxury that can't be include.
Upkeep the building and make the MP's vote from the local ASDA :)