By William James
LONDON (Reuters) - British lawmakers might have to abandon the Houses of Parliament in London's Westminster unless a large amount of money is spent on the building within the next 10 years, according to the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow.
Repairs would cost as much as 3 billion pounds ($5 billion), experts say, double the amount cited in a 2012 report on modernizing the gothic-revival palace which has problems with heating, sewage and limited capacity for computer cabling.
The 150-year-old palace was built on an eight-acre (32,000-square-metre) estate on the banks of the River Thames after an earlier parliamentary palace was destroyed by fire.
It incorporates the clock tower known as "Big Ben" and is one of London's top tourist attractions.
But, the main debating chamber lacks enough seats for all of Britain's 650 elected members of parliament, meaning many have to stand or even sit on the floor during popular debates.
A recent television documentary showed water damage to the building's gothic arches and crumbling walls.
In a speech on Monday night, Bercow, who presides over the elected lower chamber, said it would be a "huge pity" if parliament had to "abandon this site and look elsewhere in order to serve the public interest properly" before the 200-year anniversary of the 1834 fire.
"Yet I will tell you in all candor that unless management of the very highest quality and a not inconsequential sum of public money are deployed on this estate over the next 10 years that will be the outcome."
A world heritage site, the Palace of Westminster is considered to be one of the finest examples of 19th century neo-gothic Victorian architecture. The oldest building on the site, Westminster Hall, dates from 1099 and is still in daily use.
"This is a fabulous institution located in awesome surroundings. It must not have the ethos of a museum," Bercow said, calling for bold leadership to push through modernization.