Campaigners fighting the demolition of William Whitfield and Andrew Lockwood’s grade II*-listed Richmond House have sought to bring the financial and environmental cost of the proposals back into the political spotlight ahead of the general election.

Redeveloping all but the façade of the Whitehall landmark to make way for a temporary House of Commons chamber is a key – but hugely controversial – element of plans for the refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster, floated earlier this year by AHMM. Its proposals have now been lodged with Westminster council, but cannot yet be viewed by the public.

In the dying days of the current parliament, Save Britain’s Heritage has written to all MPs calling for a rethink on the demolition proposals, arguing that alternative schemes would save £1bn for the public purse and be the only option that met the government’s zero-carbon ambitions.

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