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The refurbishment of the Stormont assembly canteen, known as the Blue Flax, ended up costing nearly £200,000 more than initially planned. When the project was completed last summer, the final expenditure amounted to £530,532, a significant increase from the original budget of around £350,000 set in 2022. This renovation included an array of updates such as builders’ work, doors, flooring, joinery, furniture, appliances, lighting, as well as mechanical and electrical installations.
Despite the increased spending, more premium design elements were selected as part of the refurbishment. These enhancements featured fitted booth seating and reeded timber panelling, which were chosen over simpler options. According to internal documents obtained by BBC News NI, these decisions contributed to the overall cost rise. A new tender process was conducted to seek a “value engineered design,” with contractors providing various finish options to manage budget limitations. However, the specific pricing details for each option were redacted from the released documents and the contractor declined to discuss them without client approval.
The Assembly Commission, responsible for overseeing the parliamentary estate and comprising representatives from the main political parties, was informed of the original £350,000 estimate in early 2022 and later approved a business case in October of that year. By May 2025, the cost projection had increased to £463,000 and was signed off by senior officials, though the commission acknowledged it had not been informed of the budget escalation compared to the initial figure. Members of the commission admitted that communication regarding project costs could have been improved going forward.
Criticism of the refurbishment has been sharp. Timothy Gaston, a Traditional Unionist Voice MLA, demanded “a clear and transparent explanation,” expressing concern about the assembly’s spending priorities. He said, “This is not simply about a refurbishment. It is about priorities, judgement and a culture within Stormont of entitlement and willingness to take the taxpayer for a ride.” Similarly, People Before Profit’s Gerry Carroll highlighted questions surrounding the scale of the expenditure, noting that the canteen “needed a lick of paint and a bit more” but said the £200,000 additional spend was difficult to justify amid pressures on public services. The Assembly Commission acknowledged these concerns, citing inflation and rising material costs as key factors in the price increase, and emphasized that the procurement process complied with public sector rules aiming to balance quality and economy. The refurbishment also reflects a wider effort to modernize facilities at Parliament Buildings to better accommodate members, staff, and visitors, particularly given that the canteen had not seen substantial updates since 1998
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