When the parliamentary office building, Portcullis House, was completed in August 2000 at a cost of £235m, it was predicted to last more than 120 years with lower maintenance costs thanks to the quality workmanship and premium materials.
Its glazed roof has been anything but maintenance-free, with officials reporting falling bolts, cracks and broken panes. In the latest incident last month, water poured into the atrium after a “huge bang”.
While officials have confirmed that a report into a series of roof defects is expected within weeks, the building’s outdated electrical and mechanical systems are due to be replaced at a cost of up to £143m, with the prospect of another costly bill for roof repairs.
Sir Charles Walker, of the House of Commons Commission, which oversees the parliamentary estate, said in a parliamentary answer last month that since 2019 there have been 12 leaks in the roof and three breakages. The report will consider options to remedy defects in the roof and is due to report this month.
Since last month there has been scaffolding in the building, which stands opposite the Palace of Westminster and over a tube station, after witnesses reported one of the glass panes loudly cracking, followed by a deluge of water.
Officials say the building, which was designed by the late architect Sir Michael Hopkins and engineers Arup, remains safe to visit and work in.
Sir Vince Cable, the former business secretary who had an MP’s office in Portcullis House for nearly two decades, said the roof’s ambitious design meant it was harder to fix.
“It is a beautiful design, but because of the way it’s structured it is incredibly difficult to repair,” he said. “Any little leak causes a flood underneath. Somebody needs to be held accountable for the original commissioning and oversight of the building.”
Cable recalled the building’s “primitive plumbing”. “Toilets were often blocked and closed for maintenance,” he said.
Notwithstanding the problems at Portcullis House, MPs have also yet to decide on the long-term plan for the renovations of the Houses of Parliament. An independent sponsor body to manage the project was scrapped after estimating that without a full decanting of MPs the project could last as long as 76 years and cost as much as £22bn. A restoration and renewal board tasked with identifying options for future works is due to report by the end of the year.
MPs were cautious about approving a multibillion-pound project for the Palace of Westminster, Cable said, because past experience showed predicted costs were almost certainly understated. “It makes it difficult for MPs to go to the public and say: ‘We need billions for works’ when the maintenance and upkeep of new buildings is so costly,” Cable said.
The upkeep of Portcullis House has been no exception. Twelve fig trees in the atrium were leased at a cost of £148,000 over five years. They were later removed to stop them falling over
There have also been significant maintenance costs. A survey of Portcullis House found 7,500 defects, according to a National Audit Office report published in 2002. Most were minor, but included nuts shearing off and falling from the roof.
A parliamentary estates paper in 2014 said one of the roof’s glazing panels fractured soon after completion and “other failures followed within the early years”. Some panels were replaced in 2005, but one new panel fractured the following year.
In 2011-12, anti-shatter film was attached to the underside of panels to reduce the risk of shards of glass falling. A warning system was implemented to ensure a cordon could be placed in the area under one of the glass panels in the event of winds exceeding 20mph.
It was reported in 2016 that MPs feared that the cost of replacing the roof could exceed £100m.
A House of Commons spokesperson said: “With the building now more than 20 years old, a number of essential works are required, including replacing services and systems within the building as they reach the end of their expected life.”
