Nationwide Benefits
Wide-ranging benefits across the UK
The Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Programme will ensure the home of our democracy is fit for future generations. It will preserve the Palace’s status as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and create a modern, accessible Parliament with a safer environment for all the people who work there and visit. As the Programme gathers pace, it will also create thousands of jobs and training opportunities across the country.
Making Parliament more accessible
The Restoration and Renewal Programme will improve the accessibility of the Palace for people with disabilities, whether Members, staff or visitors. The existing Palace covers the same area as 16 football pitches and has four floors and 65 different levels – but has just one lift that meets modern access standards.
The Palace has 65 different levels and only 12% of the building is accessible to wheelchair users.
Opening up to the public
More than one million people visit Parliament every year, including schoolchildren, constituents, businesses, charities and tourists. Public engagement is a vital element of our Parliamentary democracy and this will be reflected in the designs for the Palace.
You can find out more about our public engagement work here.
Students from around the country participate in a Youth Parliament session in the House of Commons
Energy efficiency
The work on the Palace will vastly improve energy efficiency with lower running costs and a significantly reduced carbon footprint to support the Government target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Nationwide benefits
Restoring Parliament is already boosting UK industries, and the restoration will use UK materials wherever possible and create jobs and apprenticeships across the country, from engineering and high-tech design to traditional crafts such as carpentry and stonemasonry.