Businesses and suppliers in Norfolk and the East of England could be part of the programme to restore and renew the historic Palace of Westminster. A group of 15 leading businesses and representatives from across the region attended a supplier event at King’s Lynn Town Hall last week (09 March) to meet the team delivering Parliament’s Restoration and Renewal Programme and discuss how the complex work can support jobs and opportunities across the region. There are already dozens of companies involved in the restoration effort. Small to medium sized businesses across the country are already benefitting from the work. Last year, seven contracts worth £4m for Palace of Westminster building investigations were awarded to suppliers nationwide with five out of seven contract winners being classed as a small or medium enterprise (SME). Leading local experts in everything from heritage to finance, construction and further education attended the event to share their skills and experience, and to hear from the team at the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Programme about the approach to getting local businesses involved in the major project to restore the Palace of Westminster. Andy Haynes, Commercial Director at the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority, said: “We’re travelling around the country to make sure that small businesses across the nation are aware of future opportunities from the works to restore and renew the Houses of Parliament. “I was absolutely delighted to be in King’s Lynn, meeting a number of small and medium-sized Norfolk businesses and organisations as well as seeing the historic town’s tremendous heritage and the way its buildings have been carefully restored and renovated over the years.” Nova Fairbank, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chambers of Commerce said: “It was great to see so many local businesses engaged and understanding the opportunity that such a nationally significant project can bring. We enjoyed showcasing the fabulous heritage in West Norfolk and how quality restoration has made a difference in the beautiful town of King’s Lynn. We’re delighted to be supporting this project with the event and we’re looking forward to seeing Norfolk businesses help to bridge the skills gap and restore some of our iconic historic buildings”. Both Houses of Parliament are committed to preserving the Palace for future generations. The Palace is enormous and complex – the size of 16 football pitches, with the whole building sharing the same water, electric, sewage and gas system. Many of these services are 50+ years old and have reached the end of their lifespan. Hundreds of miles of pipes and cables need replacing. The scale of the challenge means more extensive restoration and renewal is needed as part of the overall plan for the Parliamentary buildings. Currently there are dozens of major projects underway to repair and restore key parliamentary buildings by parliamentary teams with which the Restoration and Renewal programme will work closely to learn from and build the lessons into the overall restoration plans for the Palace. In July 2022 Members of both Houses agreed there needs to be a more aligned and integrated approach to future restoration, prioritising safety critical work before the formal go-ahead and options for the overall restoration are confirmed. In November 2022, news of the possible discovery of the medieval Thames River wall underneath the Houses of Parliament was revealed by the extensive programme of building investigations by restoration teams last year. Specialists spent 4850 hours examining 160 rooms and drilling boreholes up to 70 metres deep to assess ground conditions around the Palace of Westminster. The surveys are helping restoration teams develop the most detailed ever record of the Palace of Westminster to inform decisions about essential restoration work. These surveys will inform a set of options, being developed by the Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority, for how significant elements of the restoration work will be delivered and the level of ambition for restoration work. This will include variations on the time and extent to which Members and staff are asked to move out of the Palace to allow complex construction work to take place. The volume and future scope of the main restoration works are not yet certain until approval is given by Members of both Houses to costed proposals, in advance of this Members will be asked to vote on a strategic case by the end of 2023.
