No new Parliament building is coming up or will be erected in Britain to replace the Palace of Westminster, despite it being 1005 years old and both the House of Commons and the House of Lords being inadequate to seat all its respective members. Instead a massive repair and restoration project is underway for a construction which came up in 1016. In order to achieve the ambitious objective, over 50 skilled engineers, architectural surveyors, acoustics and lighting experts and ecologists spent a combined 4,700 hours over Parliament’s recent summer recess investigating and assembling a most detailed record of the complex.

Sarah Johnson, CEO of the Houses of Parliament Restoration & Renewal Sponsor Body, said: “The essential programme to restore the deteriorating Palace of Westminster will protect our world-famous Parliament for generations to come.” A Parliament House to substitute the present one, notwithstanding its shortcomings, has never been a preference for a British government. Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the House of Commons, emphasised: “The Houses of Parliament building is recognised the world over as a symbol of our nation.”

A total of 2,343 rooms, spaces and conference areas were examined over the summer, with experts recording thousands of issues including cracks in stonework and widespread water damage. The intricate network of outdated electrical and mechanical systems was analysed. Many of the historic features, including original Victorian stained-glass windows which are warping and sagging due to age, have issues. The specialists also studied the enormous basement and the miles of outdated and interweaving gas, electrics, water, sewage, and heating pipes to get up to date records on the problems that need fixing.