Seven firms land survey work on Palace of Westminster refurb

Several firms have won critical surveying work on the mammoth Palace of Westminster restoration scheme.

The Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Programme awarded seven building investigation contracts on the high-profile project.

These deals will see 23 boreholes drilled to a depth of up to 70m, as well as detailed inspections of 160 rooms.

Cumbrian outfit James Fisher Strainstall landed the biggest surveying deal – a £1.6m package covering instrumentation and monitoring.

London’s Concept Engineering Consultants secured a £937,000 ground investigation contract, while DBR (London) won a £903,000 job as general contractor.

Smaller packages will see Aecom deliver air-quality works and DCUK FM undertake asbestos surveys.

Museum of London Archaeology will provide archaeologists, while the Palace Restoration Consortium secured surveying work.

David Goldstone, chief executive of the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority, said: “Our experts are carrying out the most detailed ever surveys of the Palace of Westminster, which will be critical to informing decisions about the essential restoration to preserve our historic parliament buildings.”

Surveys are planned to begin next month and continue for up to 18 months.

A report by the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body recently warned that the overall restoration of the dilapidated Houses of Parliament could take up to 76 years and cost more than £20bn.