Up to 1000 Parliamentary staff could move to a building near St James’s Park station while a £4 billion restoration of the Palace of Westminster takes place, with a property deal agreed, the Evening Standard can reveal.
Parliament has signed a major office deal for space that will be used by House of Commons and administrative staff rather than MPs. The space will be taken from Westminster City council at its recently refurbished HQ on Victoria Street.
The staff are moving next year from Parliament’s northern estate, which frees space for a temporary home for MPs in the House of Commons when the overhaul of Parliament begins. The works will not be complete until the 2030s.
A spokesman for the House of Commons said the deal with Westminster council secures “long-term office accommodation near to the Palace of Westminster". He said that "will allow for the redevelopment of Parliament’s northern estate and for the creation of a temporary home for the House of Commons during the full restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster in the mid-2020s".
The House of Commons is taking close to 100,000 square feet of space in 10 floors of Westminster’s building which could house up to 1000 people. The council is consolidating its staff into the upper half of the building which has recently undergone a £77 million revamp.
A Westminster City council spokesman said: “The recent refurbishment has allowed us to make much better use of space, only half of City Hall is now used by council staff." He added: "The remaining space will be let out to the House of Commons, raising funds which will help pay for our modern and more environmentally-friendly building.”
Property agents Knight Frank and Tuckerman advised the council, and Cluttons represented the tenant.
