Millbank House: Floods

The Senior Deputy Speaker written question – answered at on 19 June 2018.

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Photo of Lord Empey Lord Empey UUP

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what assessment he has made of the damage caused to Millbank House by flooding in 2016 and 2018; what costs have been incurred; and what steps he intends to take to ensure the building is protected against future damage.

Photo of Lord Laming Lord Laming Chair, Accommodation Steering Group Committee, Chair, Services Committee, Chair, Services Committee

The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chairman of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.

Damage caused to Millbank House as a result of flooding in 2016

The flood water in June 2016 caused damage to finishes such as floors, doors and walls in the basements; following the clean-up, new floor tiles were laid to future-proof the floor finishes. There was also damage to ceilings in and around the restaurant area, and to plant and equipment in the 1 and 2 Millbank parts of the building. The total cost impact of the damage and repairs totaled approximately £84k.

At the time, 5 Great College Street was a building site and damage was minimal. There was minor disruption to the project refurbishing that building, and minor clean-up costs.

Damage caused to Millbank House as a result of flooding in 2018

It is not believed that the flooding in May 2018 caused any permanent damage to 1 and 2 Millbank other than the loss of catering stock; all food and stock losses will be covered by House of Lords Catering and Retail Services’ commercial insurance. There is water staining to finishes such as floors, doors and walls in the basement, and deep cleaning required to the kitchen areas.

In 5 Great College Street the flooding caused damage to finishes including floors, doors and walls in the basements; plant and equipment including air handling units, pressurisation pumps and lift equipment was also damaged by the water. The impact on costs within the 5 Great College Street project are still being assessed. There are two sets of costs. One is the emergency response costs including the tankers to pump water out and the clean-up operation. The second is the cost of impact, which will include repairs and the replacement of assets. The emergency response costs are currently estimated to be £200k. An assessment of the impact costs, which will take around 4-6 weeks, is in train.

Steps to protect against future damage

Following the flooding in 2016, a number of actions were taken to reduce the risk of flooding in Millbank House. Actions implemented include the sewage back flow prevention to 1 and 2 Millbank being repaired. Repair works to 1 and 2 Millbank incorporated features and materials that were less susceptible to water damage. Minor mitigation measures were incorporated into the 5 Great College Street project to prevent critical plant and equipment being seriously affected by future flooding, including waterproof bunding around critical areas and locating equipment at a higher level to reduce the risk of water damage.

Since the May flooding a review of the locations of water penetration has been undertaken and a specialist independent drainage adviser has been commissioned to determine if additional protective measures can be provided in the short term. Discussions are ongoing with systems and equipment suppliers to understand if there is any improved resilience which can be incorporated into the equipment. The recommendations of the report commissioned after the 2016 flooding are being reviewed to determine actions that could be accelerated or enhanced with new lessons learnt from the recent flooding.

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