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Heritage

How do you think the unique heritage of the Palace of Westminster should be preserved and celebrated?

Perhaps you’re interested in the building’s iconic architecture, its stunning decoration, the potential for archaeological discoveries, or the important and developing collections of furnishings, art, and documents.

Between June and July 2021 we asked for your views and ideas about how we can celebrate the building’s heritage – in all its forms – in ways which are interesting and relevant for people in different communities across the UK.

The views and ideas shared will help to inform the detailed and costed restoration and renewal plan. You can look at what people said below. You can also sign up for information on further activities that will follow in due course.

More information

Parliament has decided that the Palace of Westminster will remain its permanent home, after the restoration project is complete. We are working on the detailed restoration plan which will be provided to Parliament for its decision. We want to take your views into account as we develop this plan.

Find out more about the history and heritage of the Palace of Westminster.

Explore the Palace of Westminster using a virtual tour.

Video transcript_Heritage.pdf

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Phases

Phases overview

Phase 1: Gathering thoughts and ideas

Gathering thoughts and ideas

Phase 2: Developing a detailed and costed restoration and renewal plan

Developing a detailed and costed restoration and renewal plan

Phase 3: Providing the plan to Parliament

Providing the plan to Parliament

Gathering thoughts and ideas

1 January 2021 00:00 - 15 July 2021 23:00

As part of this once in a generation project, the Restoration and Renewal Programme is seeking your views, ideas, experience and knowledge to help inform our plans for different aspects of the restoration of the Palace of Westminster.

These online conversations will run until 14 July 2021. A range of other activities with different groups around the UK will continue throughout 2021.

Community guidelines

This website is an inclusive and constructive space for people to share their views and ideas about key areas of the Restoration and Renewal Programme. Content will be moderated in line with our Community Guidelines and Terms and Conditions. Comments not meeting these standards/guidelines will be removed by our team of moderators. Posting in this conversation is possible between 07:00 and 22:00 daily.

15 contributions

unknown author5 years ago

unknown author5 years ago The key thing is to make the building as accessible as possible and for free. I think the security arguments for closing of historic spaces are poor. All this is is misguided security. It is now pretty well impossible for the public to get into the Palace. This was not the case in the last century when much of the site was accessible. If you want the people to care for their historic buildings you must let them in freely and to some ways on their own terms.

unknown author5 years ago The Houses of Parliament are stunning, they must be restored. The thought of replacing with a modern building is abhorrent, look at the monstrosity that is city hall. Whether the mps deserve such splendour is a completely different issue. I would far prefer our money to be spent on HOP than Buckingham palace,which even the royals don’t like . Turn the. Palace into a hotel to pay for the restoration of Westminster.

unknown author5 years ago I would love to see the Battle of Britain depicted in a mural of the same grandeur as Daniel Maclise's Waterloo and Trafalgar Murals in the Royal Gallery. The Battle of Britain is a pivotal moment in British history, and has worldwide significance. It was fundamental in the survival of this country, and our parliamentary sovereignty. The mural should celebrate 'The Few' and the enormous efforts of the entire apparatus of our defence. Hugh Dowding, Keith Park. and Winston Churchill. The British people need to be represented as, in the words of Douglas Bader. "The Battle of Britain was not won by the Royal Air Force. It was won by everyone in this country, by the people on the ground who took the bombing. The fire services and all these auxiliary services who fought the flames, who didn't give up." It was our finest hour, and it deserves to be remembered on the same scale as Waterloo and Trafalgar. Many thanks for this opportunity, and I hope I can visit our parliament one day. Best wishes.

unknown author5 years ago Retain and refurbish the exterior. It is well known around the world and stands out in a way that a modern building would not. It is a national asset. Remodel the whole of the interior to make it efficient for a 21st and 22nd century parliamentary democracy. That means building two new debating chambers (the political future of the Lords is beyond this consultation) and all the office and support functions needed to make them work properly. Replace pokey old Victorian offices with modern. Retain the two existing debating chambers as museum exhibits if possible, but demolish them if there is not enough space for them. Move any functions not needed to support the democratic process to office accommodation elsewhere in the vicinity. Forget about moving parliament to Birmingham or Manchester or Glasgow.

unknown author5 years ago

unknown author5 years ago

unknown author5 years ago

unknown author5 years ago I think this creates a real challenge. On the one hand the building is iconic and well recognised but on the other hand the building impedes our having a democratic government. It is not surprising that more democratic governments have a common design for the main debating chamber (semi-circular) and, as a gross generalisation, they have more effective and certainly more civilised debates. We need to move towards such a layout but this does not seem to have been considered and it is difficult to see how such a layout could be accommodated within the footprint of the existing building.This is not to say that the building should be demolished as it could be developed as a tourist site.

unknown author5 years ago

unknown author5 years ago There really isn't any point in wasting money saving the Houses of Parliament as the building will be underwater by the end of the century anyway. The money should be spent on moving Parliament to somewhere on higher ground nearer the centre of the UK.A state-of-the-art, modern, "green" building will be a much better use of public money and will say much more about us as a people than a pointless project to preserve the past.Meanwhile, as the waters rise, the old building should be left to rot as a monument to our folly. An iconic building that will be even more iconic, and more representative of those power, in a crumbling, half-submerged state.

unknown author5 years ago

unknown author5 years ago

unknown author5 years ago

unknown author5 years ago Think this conversation should have been had before restoration work started!The Palace of Westminster is totally unsuited as the Seat of Government in the digital age. The number of MPs and Lords should be reduced and it’s location more central.Undoubtedly the Palace must be made safe and preserved for future generations. Then it can hopefully be repurposed and generate enough income to be self-supporting.

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