Holyrood repairs bill hits £2m record high

TAXPAYERS are footing a record bill for repairs and maintenance at the Scottish parliament.

The Holyrood building last year cost the public purse £2.4 million, while the repairs bill has reached £30 million in less than 20 years since the building opened in 2004.

Critics warned Holyrood, which cost £414 million following an initial estimate of £10-£40 million, would remain an ‘ongoing burden’.

Figures obtained under Freedom of Information by The Scottish Mail on Sunday show the annual maintenance bill has rocketed from £314,000 in the first year, 2004/5, to a record £2.38 million this year.

The total spent fixing the building since 2004 stands at £29.6 million.

Architecture writer David Black said: ‘The building is going to be an ongoing burden… it has a lot of technical problems.’

Tory MSP Stephen Kerr said: ‘For hundreds of thousands of pounds to be spent on a building that isn’t even two decades old is deeply concerning, especially given how over budget it was.’

Neil Baxter, ex-secretary of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, said: ‘Theoretically, a sound building should be relatively maintenance-free over the short term and low-maintenance over the longer term, and the Scottish parliament is anything but. However, it is an incredible work of art.’

A Scottish parliament spokesman said: ‘Holyrood is both a working parliament and an iconic building. Our stewardship approach will ensure the building is maintained properly for future generations.’