Bids called for Victoria Tower repairs

It is only 30 years since the Victoria Tower was last repaired but its masonry is again crumbling. Palace surveyors determined that it could not wait for the wider restoration and renewal programme that has been stalled in a mire of political indecisiveness.The 99-metre-high Victoria Tower is at the House of Lords end, the southwest end, of the Palace of Westminster.Sir Robert McAlpine and its specialist suppliers last year completed a five-year programme of works on the Elizabeth Tower, otherwise known as the Big Ben clocktower. The scaffold alone, consisting of 24,000 elements, took more than a year to construct.Repairing the Victorias Tower is a £170m project; the main works and design element is expected to come in at around £95mFollowing a market consultation stage, a contract notice has now been issued, launching the supplier qualification stage. A maximum of five suppliers will be invited to submit full tenders in September 2023. The works are planned to start in late 2024.Palace authorities intend to appoint one contractor under a single-stage contract, to deliver two phases of work. Phase 1 is to complete temporary works, with subsequent conservation and repair works in phase 2.Work will involve the full scaffolding of the tower, repairs to the stonework and conservation works to the window glazing, cast iron roof, rainwater drainage system and flagpole.For further information, see our Contract Leeds service or find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014642-2023With regard to the full restoration and renewal project, MPs and peers remain undecided on whether to move out for several years and let the builders get on with it, or to have the work go on around them for decades. In the meantime, the project team has been keeping itself busy with surveys and market engagement.“We’re travelling around the country to make sure that small businesses across the nation are aware of future opportunities from the works to restore and renew the Houses of Parliament,” said Andy Haynes, commercial director of the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority.