Renovation bill for Stormont canteen more than £500k

A refurbishment of the Stormont assembly canteen has cost more than half a million pounds.

The Blue Flax canteen at Parliament Buildings - which is used by assembly members, staff and visitors - was renovated over the summer.

Its cost was revealed in correspondence to Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) assembly member Timothy Gaston, who described the level of spending as "indefensible".

The Northern Ireland Assembly said the restaurant had not been updated substantially since 1998.

A spokeswoman said bringing more people to Parliament Buildings required them to "maximise the use of our space and having modern, fit for purpose facilities is an important part of that".

In a letter to Gaston, seen by BBC News NI, a senior Stormont official said the cost of the refurbishment project so far was £505,278.

A further bill in the region of £20,000 is also still to be spent to address a "small number of final elements", the official added.

Most of the spending was on the refurbishment itself, which cost a total of £437,559.

This included builders' work as well as doors, floor finishes, joinery, furniture, appliances, light fixtures, and mechanical and electrical installations.

Almost £40,000 was spent on the design scheme while nearly £28,000 was spent on project management.

Gaston, a member of the legislative assembly (MLA) for North Antrim, said he was "frankly appalled" by the level of spending.

"This at a time when ordinary households across Northern Ireland are struggling with the cost of living, and the constant complaint of executive ministers is that they don't have the money to pay for essential public services," he added.

"It is indefensible that Stormont has spent the equivalent of two family homes on a canteen which is seldom seen by anyone outside MLAs, assembly and MLA staff and the Stormont press pack."

The running of Parliament Buildings is overseen by the Assembly Commission - a Stormont body made up of MLAs from the five largest parties.

Gaston called for a "full breakdown" of the spending on the canteen refurbishment.

"It seems that there is pressure on legitimate public services but a bottomless pit of taxpayer money when it comes to the Stormont canteen," he added.

A spokeswoman for the Assembly said the restaurant said about 72,000 transactions recorded had been recorded in the canteen in 2024 alone.

"It is used by MLAs, their staff, Assembly staff, civil servants, media, and members of the public visiting to meet with their elected representatives," she said.

She added that the restaurant received a minor refresh in 2008, but has not been updated substantially since 1998.

"During those 27 years, working and eating habits have changed significantly, with people wanting more flexible and informal options, reflecting more collaborative and 'away from desk' working.

"This agility will be important as the Assembly embarks on a busy legislative period in the second half of its current mandate, with more late evening sittings anticipated, whilst maintaining value for money through more cashless and self-serve options.

"Our new engagement strategy aims to increase understanding and enable participation in the work of the Assembly, including bringing more people to Parliament Buildings. This requires us to maximise the use of our space and having modern, fit for purpose facilities is an important part of that."