The BBC NEWS story (5/02/26) reports that the team responsible for renovating the Palace of Westminster say the revamp could take 61 years and cost £40 billion.( FACT.CHECK : yes these are the two numbers in the report). Running costs are £1.5 million a week.These figures are spectacular evidence that something has gone wrong. It is worth recalling that government estimates for new infrastructure are often exceeded, sometimes by whopping amounts. They echo the problems that afflict owners of flats, whose service and maintenance charges have gone though the roof since the fire in Grenfell Tower in 2017.
You can see why many developers say home building is no longer viable. We have created a monster. Can it be afforded? Is this the future?
Ian Campbell
5 February 2026
