What next for restoration and renewal of parliament?
About this episode
The episode discusses the urgent need for repair of the Palace of Westminster and explores lessons from international restoration projects.
The Palace of Westminster is one of the world’s most recognisable historic buildings and the home of the UK parliament. Yet much of the estate is in urgent need of repair. While debates over how to approach the Restoration and Renewal programme have continued for over a decade, other countries have already moved ahead: Austria has completed the renovation of its parliament, and Canada’s is well underway. In February, the Restoration and Renewal Client Board set out updated costings and recommended two possible paths forward – full decant or enhanced maintenance and improvement. Parliament is expected to debate the Client Board’s report in the coming weeks. With the stage now set for parliament to embark on a project that will not only safeguard this historic landmark but also reimagine it for future generations, this IfG event explored lessons from other international projects, and discuss what the Restoration and Renewal programme could mean for parliament, industry and the wider public. To discuss all this and more, the IfG brought together an expert panel, including: Jennifer Garrett, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Parliamentary Precinct Branch of the Government of Canada…
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