Taxpayer to foot bill for 40 new bamboo-style window poles at Holyrood

Published on Friday 18 December 2009 10:20

DOZENS of the iconic bamboo-style poles which decorate MSPs' windows at the Scottish Parliament have had to be replaced at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds to the taxpayer.

When the "oak lattice" screens were taken down from the MSP block to be re-varnished after five years in position, 40 of them were found to be so rotten they could not be repaired.

Today, politicians warned the high maintenance costs of the 414 million Holyrood building would annoy the public at a time when everyone was having to make savings.

The poles were taken down in September and sent for re- varnishing at a firm in Fife as part of the parliament's 409,000 a year fabric maintenance programme.

A year ago, 34 poles in the bamboo-style canopy over the parliament's main entrance had to have sections replaced after just four years because they had rotted away.

Poll: Are the bamboo-style poles on the Scottish Parliament a waste of money?

Independent Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald said people would be annoyed that, in a recession, large amounts of money were being spent on something which could not be classed as essential.

She said: "We're stuck with the windows because they have become a recognised feature and they are on the tea towels.

"But maintenance costs, repair costs and replacement costs are higher because it is all custom-made. There's no shop that sells bent bits of wood like these.

"It goes back to the impracticality of the design and, particularly at a time like this, people will shake their heads because everyone else in private life or in business is learning to cut their coat according to the cloth available."

Edinburgh Pentlands Tory MSP David McLetchie said the bamboo-style "bars" had been an artistic flourish by architect Enric Miralles and it was "no surprise" that 40 of them needed to be replaced.

He said: "Many thought when these bars went up that Mr Miralles was paying scant regard to the severity of the Scottish climate and that has been borne out. However, given they are now an integral part of the design, it's just another reason why the maintenance costs of the building are so high."

Parliament officials refused to say how much it cost to replace the poles or carry out the re-varnishing.

But timber expert Peter Wilson said the bill would easily be in the tens of thousands.

He said: "It is an expensive and predictable problem, and one that will recur. All coatings on timber degrade, so if they want to keep that honey colour they are going to have to renew it every few years."

He said many buildings featured uncoated timber, which weathered to a silvery grey.

"Oak is very durable and should last on its own without coating, but once you have coated it you have to do it again and again."

Mr Wilson, of Napier University's Centre for Timber Engineering, said the fact so many poles had rotted was down to "bad detail" – metal discs at the end of the poles which allowed water to become trapped.

A parliament spokeswoman said the poles had been varnished to make them as weather resistant as possible.

Are the Scottish Parliament poles a waste of money?

Joe Middleton, 39, legal researcher, Wardieburn Place South said: "They should consider a more durable material next time."

David Poole, 78, retired engineer, Mayfield Road said: "The whole parliament was a big waste of money."

Gill Williamson, 41, marketing manager, West Savile Road, said: "They look cheap and nasty, like sticks of bamboo. It doesn't work."