Houses of Parliament at risk of ‘Notre Dame-style fire’ as renovation costs rise

A parliamentary committee has warned that the Palace of Westminster faces a growing risk of a major fire or other catastrophic damage unless urgent funding is secured for essential refurbishments. With maintenance costs projected to climb sharply, including round-the-clock patrols to mitigate fire hazards, delays in restoration plans have persisted due to disputes over approach and escalating expenses. The Grade I-listed and UNESCO-protected building, already vulnerable to deterioration, could suffer irreversible damage without decisive action. Experts caution that further inaction may leave one of the UK’s most iconic landmarks exposed to the same kind of disaster seen at Notre Dame.

Report says cost of maintenance could soon reach £2m a week, including 24-hour patrols to avert fire riskThe Palace of Westminster will be at risk of a Notre Dame-style fire or a similar catastrophic event if MPs do not tackle the issue of funding refurbishments, a parliamentary committee has said.Decisions about how and when to begin a full restoration of the building, which is Grade I-listed and a Unesco world heritage site, have been repeatedly delayed amid disagreement over how it should be done and spiralling costs. Continue reading...