Parliament to close for essential repairs

Published on Saturday 2 February 2008 19:04

THE Scottish Government will spend more than £100,000 on a series of repairs to the controversial £414m Holyrood building.

A programme of maintenance work will be carried out during the February recess.

The work, which will cost approximately 115,000, includes repair of the public stairs, repair and refurbishment of the foyer and the replacement of some window blinds.

In addition, energy-efficient light bulbs will be installed in some areas of the Holyrood building.

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) had previously agreed to close the building to the public during the recess to allow for maintenance to take place, instead of having to bring workmen in at weekends or overnight.

A spokesman said: "The February recess work will be met from the annual maintenance budget."

Holyrood became the centre of controversy as it was beset by delays and ballooning costs. Prior to the devolution referendum, ministers estimated that the building would cost between 10m and 20m. That figure soon grew to 40m and then rose to an estimate of 440m as politicians and builders argued over changes to the design.

Since official completion in 2004, it has needed several repairs as windows have cracked and a beam in the debating chamber ceiling came loose and dangled over MSPs' heads.

One of the biggest challenges for engineers is the fact the many of the parts, including windows, have to be custom-built.

Despite the delays and the cost, the Scottish parliament has won a number of architectural awards, including the RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for Architecture, and the 2005 Stirling Prize, the UK's most prestigious architecture award.

In 2005, it was identified as Scotland's fourth greatest modern building by readers of Prospect magazine.