Scottish Parliament spends £223k on roundabout to stop terrorist attack

Published on Monday 2 March 2009 08:58

SCOTTISH Parliament bosses are spending £223,000 of taxpayers' money to build a "triangular roundabout" as a security measure outside the Holyrood building.

The one-metre-high concrete construction in front of the entrance to the underground car park in Holyrood Road is intended to prevent a terrorist attack on the parliament.

But the cost comes on top of a bill of more than 250,000 for a new system of traffic lights and pop-up barriers to control entry to the car park.

Politicians today questioned the need for such expensive security measures.

The "roundabout", already under construction, will serve as a chicane which vehicles will have to manoeuvre their way round to get into the car park.

A parliament source said: "The idea is to make it impossible for someone to drive down Holyrood Road at high speed and crash the gates.

"The function of the chicane is to put an obstacle in front of the building."

The work also includes installing two large concrete plinths and up to 14 steel bollards nearby as additional barriers to any terrorist assault.

But Independent Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald was sceptical about the project.

"How many of these kind of incidents have there been?" she asked. "If it was a regular occurrence, I would be prepared to take their word for it that this is a necessary precaution.

"But if it's only a 'what if', I think we could find better uses for the money."

The work is being carried out by Land Engineering, the road maintenance contractor to the city council, and the parliament is picking up the bill.

Parliament officials say the measures were agreed on the recommendation of the UK Government's specialist security agency.

A parliament spokeswoman confirmed the cost of the work was 223,788.

She said: "Following advice from the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure on the need to improve perimeter security, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body agreed, among some other measures, to install a chicane.

"Other than to say the work will involve traffic calming measures, there are obvious reasons why we would not expand on this given it involves parliament security."

Last year, the Evening News revealed the parliament was spending 263,806 on barriers, traffic lights and a swipe-card system at the underground car park to ensure cars going in opposite directions did not crash on the narrow ramp.

The expense was criticised at the time as "health and safety enthusiasts having a field day".

Less than six months after being installed, the system broke down with the lights stuck on red, leaving security guards to wave through cars after checking there was nothing coming in the opposite direction. MSPs branded the situation "farcical", but sources claim the problem has now been fixed.

In other security moves revealed by the Evening News last month, the parliament plans to install a total of 162 new bollards along pavements running beside the Holyrood building on Canongate and Horse Wynd.

It is also proposing 18 rectangular concrete benches in front of the parliament's existing ponds, and six leaf-shaped benches on the corner of Canongate.

SPENDING SPREE BY MSPs

In the past year alone the parliament has spent...

&#149 94,000 on plugging leaks.

&#149 8000 to rewire lights in the MSP block.

&#149 20,000 to treat wooden slats.

&#149 An undisclosed amount for revarnishing and partially replacing the oak canopy over the public entrance.

&#149 An unspecified amount to fit extra under-floor radiators.

&#149 20,000 on a giant granite "Public Entrance" sign.

&#149 250,000 on barriers, traffic lights and a swipe-card system at the car park.

&#149 56,000 revamping the exhibition in the foyer.

&#149 50,000 for mini-aerials to boost mobile phone reception.

&#149 Thousands of pounds are due to be spent on gates and turnstiles at the Queensberry House and Canongate entrances.