SNP questions Holyrood flood risk
With the Scottish Parliament now in operation, and the opening ceremony just over a month away, new questions have been raised about the suitability of the site.
It has been confirmed that during the weekend’s heavy rains water entered the building through the drainage system and caused damage to a police room in the building.
The room will have to be refurbished.
Currently, the majority of the civil servants have taken up residence in the building, with MSPs due to move in on 7th September, ahead of the official October opening.
According to the Scottish National Party (SNP) one of its stated concerns about the site is the presence of underground springs.
One of the Parliament’s sharpest critics, Shadow Finance Minister Fergus Ewing, has called for an official statement on the floods from Presiding Officer George Reid.
Mr Ewing, who is calling for full details of the extent of the damage and cost, said: “Above all, the Presiding Officer must make a comprehensive statement as to whether this site is prone to flooding or whether he is satisfied that this is a one off occurrence.”
“This flood raises serious questions for the Parliament. In just a few weeks time, the Queen is due to officially open the building and next week, MSPs are due to move in.
“Already there is a suspicion that there is a serious design flaw in the building. We know that the site is built on natural springs and the question now has to be whether the choice of Holyrood by Donald Dewar is going to leave a legacy of problems.”
