Given the announcements of public service job cuts can the Government afford the inevitably high rents of an environmentally sustainable office building?
The parliament square site currently houses public servants in about 14,800 square metres of office space. The Government has pre-committed to a long term lease for an environmentally sustainable office component of about 15,000 square metres on the redeveloped site. The need to embrace environmentally sustainable practices cannot be forgotten even in these financially difficult times. The Government must plan for the long term. The 5 star rated Green building and more generally environmental sustainability across the site underscores the Government’s commitment to its climate change policy. The Government knows that the initial costs of environmentally sustainable design and technologies will be offset over time by ongoing savings on running costs and improved productivity.
