Big Ben repair budget doubled to £61m
1 min read
The final bill to renovate Big Ben will hit £61m - double the amount previously thought, parliamentary authorities have said.
Repair costs for the Elizabeth Tower renovation were originally estimated at £29m to £45m for the four-year job.
But parliament said the project will be bigger and more complex than originally thought and will present “unique challenges”.
A more detailed assessment of the condition of the tower and the work needed - including on the stonework and re-glazing the clock face – forced the authorities to change their plans.
In a statement this afternoon officials said they had "expressed their disappointment in the cost increases, and the unreliability of the original estimate".
They said they had ordered “regular updates on progress" from now on.
A row broke out earlier this year over the silencing of the bell during the renovation work in order to protect those working on the project.
The iconic chime is set to be out of action until 2021, other than on select occasions including Remembrance Sunday and New Year’s Eve.
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