People Behind the Buildings: UK Parliament
Ever been curious about what it takes to maintain the UK’s national treasures? Bellrock partnered with GovNews to create a five-part podcast series giving you an exclusive glimpse behind the curtain of iconic buildings, including the Cabinet Office, The British Museum, and more.
Each episode features an in-depth conversation with Estates & Facilities Directors responsible for the care and management of these historic and functional spaces. Whether you’re a fan of architecture, a public sector estates professional, or simply curious about the people behind the UK’s built environment, this series will offer a fresh perspective on the role of public estates in the nation’s life.
This blog post shares the highlights from the episode on the UK Parliament estate. Matt Hickley, Public Sector Specialist at Bellrock co-hosted the episode with Mark Blanchard, Director of GovNews. They quizzed Catherine Hallett, Security Portfolio Director and Chris Elliott, Managing Director of Estates. Read on to discover how they balance trade-offs like security, smarter working, and sustainability. We’ll surface the unique challenges and approaches that enable this landmark to uphold the democratic process while attracting over a million visitors every year.
The People Behind the Buildings
The UK Parliament estate spans multiple buildings, including national treasures like Big Ben, expanding beyond Westminster Hall to the northern estate. Catherine’s role is to ensure that the UK parliament has the physical infrastructure needed to stay secure. As a Chartered Civil Engineer, she brings over 25 years’ experience in the project management of infrastructure programmes and portfolios. Her role at Parliament is at once demanding and rewarding – she is responsible for overseeing the investment in physical, digital and behavioural security risk mitigation.
As Managing Director of Strategic Estates, Chris is responsible for the strategic management of the parliamentary estate and related infrastructure. The Strategic Estates team covers both the House of Lords and the House of Commons, encompassing a broad set of responsibilities, including the delivery of construction projects, the provision of specialist planning and design support, and the care and development of internationally significant heritage collections.
Negotiating Trade-offs
The house of parliament has multiple functions – it’s a working seat of democracy, a listed building and a popular tourist attraction. So how do the team manage these competing priorities?
It’s a delicate balancing act. Parliament is founded on access, which makes it different from other government buildings. It’s a fundamental part of how it operates. The estates team must work with that principle as a constraint and a jumping-off point.
Parliament is a top tourist attraction, welcoming over one million visitors yearly. Keeping it secure is a challenge, but the team has significant infrastructure to protect the public and parliament. Keeping people safe and secure is priority #1. Having that shared understanding is crucial for decision-making.
Beyond that, it’s helpful to think in terms of different lenses. When prioritising the estates pipeline, they consider aspects like conservation, productivity and wellbeing. It’s essential to consider initiatives and decisions from different angles and take a holistic view. That same ethos also influences masterplanning. Establishing a robust masterplan gives the estates team a clear framework to make trade-offs where necessary.
Preserving the Past
Another perspective the estates team need to consider is preserving the past. The UK Parliament estate has a rich history dating back hundreds of years. As custodians of these buildings, it’s vital to preserve that heritage while ensuring their longevity. Of course, such a complex estate comprising old buildings at various stages of their life presents unique challenges. The secret is keeping a cool head and taking a systematic, structured approach.
The team has implemented a rigorous ongoing survey programme across the estate. This involves periodic condition assessments to enable a systematic view of the assets. That survey data is categorised to inform a planned preventative maintenance programme. This structured approach helps the team shift away from reacting to issues and is ultimately more rewarding.
Preserving the past wouldn’t be possible without the expertise and dedication of a team of conservation architects. They bring specialist expertise to ensure future generations continue to visit and enjoy these iconic buildings.
Futureproofing the estate
Yet the UK Parliament estate is not simply a series of monuments. The buildings serve a modern-day purpose and need to work for staff. Yet that can be challenging when the majority of the estate wasn’t designed for the modern workplace. The trick is to align the nature of the work with the right space. Typically, staff use the more modern buildings as office spaces as it’s relatively straightforward to remodel them for smarter working. The team use tools like the Well Building Standards to shape spaces that create the right conditions for staff to thrive.
By contrast, the function of the Houses of Parliament is to support democracy. The design stems from that guiding principle. For example, MPs often engage in confidential, sensitive work with constituents. It’s important to respect that open-plan workspaces are inappropriate in that context.
Reimagining the estate
The refurbishment of the Norman Shaw North building illustrates this constant balancing act. The full-scale refurbishment will retain and showcase the historic architecture while creating a modern workplace for MPs.
Norman Shaw North is just one project in an extensive programme. One of the most high-profile major projects was the refurbishment of Big Ben. The initiative helped retain the resilience of this iconic building while opening up access to future visitors. Other projects may be less visible but equally important like the current work to renew all the roofs. Deeper behind the scenes, the team is overhauling the mechanical and electrical systems. Together, these projects secure the future of these remarkable buildings.
Securing sustainability
Looking to the future, sustainability is an important driver. For the team, it has both environmental and social aspects. As well as taking steps towards net-zero targets, they are also working towards KPIs for social value. For example, refurbishment projects typically aim to create more employment opportunities including for apprentices. This perspective ensures that these buildings work not just for staff, but for the wider community and the environment.
With so many considerations for the UK Parliament estates team, strategic thinking is crucial. Making calls about negotiating trade-offs is all in a day’s work. The only way you can operate in an environment so complex and constrained is by working as a team. Considered choices now help secure the future of these iconic buildings for years to come.
Stay Ahead of the Curve with Concerto
Concerto is the UK’s leading CAFM and estates management system. Built by FM geeks who loved playing with Lego as a kid, the software is modular, meaning you can pick the parts of the system that best match your needs.
Winner of two PFM awards for Experts in Partnership, Concerto is trusted by clients including NHS England, HMRC, the University of Oxford, the London Fire Brigade, and many more.
Get in touch with our public sector team to discover how we can help you.
To get in touch, complete the form below, or give us a call: 01925 989 500
