Russ MacMillan to take up post in February
A civil servant at the Department for Transport has been named as the new chief executive of the body which oversees the Palace of Westminster’s restoration programme.
Russ MacMillan will lead the delivery authority which helps design and deliver the restoration and renewal programme on behalf of both houses of Parliament.
He will lead the team of architects, engineers, project managers and specialist contractors who will be working on the programme.
MacMillan is currently a director for rail infrastructure at the Department for Transport, where he is responsible for a £20bn portfolio of capital investment across Wales and the North and West of England.
He was appointed following a competitive recruitment process by delivery authority chair Mike Brown, who said MacMillan “brings a wealth of experience in managing major programmes”.
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MacMillan added: “I am excited to be working with talented colleagues from across the Delivery Authority and Parliament to build on their significant progress and to support decision making on how best to renew this unique and internationally recognised building.”
The authority will spend the next two years developing a strategic case for the programme and progressing plans for early works, while carrying out further building surveys and investigations of the crumbling grade I-listed building.
It is focusing work on two options for the restoration, either a “full decant” where both houses of Parliament relocate to a nearby temporary space while the works are completed or a more expensive“continued presence” option where the House of Commons would continue to occupy the building throughout the works.
The programme is also developing a third “enhanced maintenance and improvement” option, which would be a rolling, sequenced programme of works.
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Costed proposals for the three options are expected to be ready for presentation to both Houses of Parliament before the end of 2025.
The authority’s chief financial officer Tanya Coff is currently acting as interim chief executive until MacMillan takes up his post in February next year. Coff has been leading the body since the departure of previous chief executive David Goldstone in August.
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