You may think you’ve got problems if you’ve got to spend several thousand pounds on maintenance on your house.

South Molton Town Council may not like the fact that it’s got to spend a couple of hundred thousand pounds on repairs to the Pannier Market and Town Hall.

It all pales into total insignificance when compared to the cost of repairing and renovating the Palace of Westminster!

A report published today reveals three options. ‘Do Nothing’ is definitely not an option

The first option involves doing the minimum work needed with Parliament remaining in occupation. This would take around 32 years and during that time the Lords and the Commons would have to close for between 2-4 years.  The cost estimate for this option is approximately £5.7 billion.

The second option involves a partial move out. First the Commons, then the Lords, would move to temporary accommodation outside the Palace.  This approach would take around 11 years and would cost about £3.9 billion for a ‘do minimum’ project.

The final option would involve both Houses fully vacating  the Palace for around six years. The cost estimate for some improvements is approximately £3.5 billion and about £3.9 billion for significant improvements!

Yepp – those are billions of pounds!

Of course if proper maintenance work had been routinely carried out the costs would doubtless have been less.