Parliament renovations to cost between €475 and 525 million

Minister Stef Blok of Housing presented three plans for renovating the Binnenhof to the Senate and Parliament on Tuesday. In these three options the renovations will cost between 475 million and 525 million euros. All three options are doable, but option three is more expensive than budgeted, ANP reports.

In the first option, the Tweede Kamer (lower house of parliament), Eerste Kamer (Senate), the Council of State and the Ministry of General Affairs have to leave the Binnenhof for the entire renovation. They will have to be housed somewhere else. In this option the renovation will take 5.5 years and cost 475 million euros. This option falls within the budget.

For the second option, all the above mentioned bodies will also have to leave the Binnenhof. But everyone except the Tweede Kamer will be able to return 2.7 years later. The renovations on the Eerste Kamer, Council of State and General Affairs will be given priority to be finished by then. But the Tweede Kamer will only be finished at the end. In this option renovations will take 6.4 years and cost 482 million euros, still within budget.

The third option will take 7 years and cost 525 million euros, which is more than budgeted. In this option the Tweede Kamer stays on the Binnenhof for three years while the other bodies are renovated. After that the other bodies move back and the Tweede Kamer moves out for its renovation, which will take four years.