Proposed House of Lords relocation to York shelved
A proposal to move the House of Lords to York during parliament’s planned renovations has been shelved.
The idea was first floated at the start of the year and continually came up this year as something Boris Johnson was exploring, however the body responsible for Westminster’s restoration has said the York move “will not…be considered” for now.
MPs and peers agreed in 2018 to move out of the Palace of Westminster temporarily for a planned £4bn restoration.
Sources out of Downing Street said in January that moving peers to York could form part of the government’s “levelling up” agenda, which seeks to improve economic conditions north of London.
However, the BBC reports that the Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority – which is reviewing the restoration project – has told Johnson that it will not support the Lords moving to York.
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The authority told the Prime Minister in a letter that such a move to York would have “constitutional implications” and that it is “a matter for both Houses to determine rather than for our review”.
“This option will not, therefore, be considered as part of the scope of the strategic review,” it said.
“In line with best practice, we remain committed to developing a business case that will set out in detail the options for restoring parliament including cost estimates and timescales.”
Restoring the UK’s parliament has been a topic for discussion for many years, with the historic buildings being a known fire risk.
The Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority is completing a review into the works to see if they are still feasible.