The new Peers' Entrance to the House of Lords has faced intense criticism from peers, primarily concerning its £9.6 million cost and ongoing functionality issues. Despite being under a multi-year security upgrade since 2023, the entrance still fails to adequately accommodate disabled peers, requiring a staff member to physically operate the door. Baroness Smith labeled the situation "completely unacceptable," while other peers described the door as a "white elephant." The project’s funding increased due to operational costs and heritage constraints. Clear concerns remain over whether the entrance can ever be fully operational.
"The work at Peers' Entrance is an important project as part of our commitment to ensure the safety and security of everyone on the Parliamentary estate..."
"Baroness Smith said the cost of the door rose from an initial 6.1m estimate due to the cost of keeping the entrance operational during works..."
"If it will not, other decisions have to be resolved and that has to be something that is done very quickly..."
"The other evening, someone in a wheelchair was unable to access the House..."
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