Tony Blair thought-about constructing secret bunker below Downing Street in case of terror assault, new recordsdata reveal | EUROtoday

Plans had been drawn up below Tony Blair for a serious redevelopment of Downing Street costing tons of of tens of millions of kilos, together with plans for an underground “safe-haven” for use within the occasion of a terrorist assault, in accordance newly-released official recordsdata.

The massively formidable programme – codenamed Project George – included plans for a two-storey “subterranean suite” below the No 10 backyard, with a convention room able to seating 200 folks, which may additionally function a bunker within the occasion of a terrorist assault.

According to a briefing pack, launched to the National Archives at Kew, west London, there would even have been a brand new underground service highway so VIP guests would now not should share the well-known No 10 black door entrance with deliveries and refuse collections.

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A separate new entrance would have been constructed for workers and “general visitors”, with the development of a restaurant and “break out space” inside an atrium off the No 10 courtyard and “recreation facilities” within the basement.

The plans prolonged to Nos 11 and 12 Downing Street and 70 Whitehall – the house of the Cabinet Office – which might have been given a brand new glass-fronted extension with photo voltaic screening, to forestall the build-up of extreme warmth, and blast-resistant glazing.

The proposals had been supposed to handle the dilapidated situation of the property – which dated again to the seventeenth century – which had not undergone a serious refurbishment because the Nineteen Sixties, with the sewers, mains energy and IT programs all frequently breaking down.

“The main driver for this project is the serious deficiencies which constrain the full and effective use of the buildings,” the briefing pack mentioned.

“These cause increased incidences of unacceptable failure of critical services unfitting for such important a vital office of government.”

It would have required the buildings – which included the workplaces of the tons of of civil servants in addition to the official residences of the prime minister and chancellor – to be vacated for 2 years whereas the development work was carried out.

It would have been paid for by the non-public finance initiative (PFI) with the prices unfold over 30 years, peaking at £63 million in 2006/07 earlier than falling again to £25.5 million a 12 months for the rest of the interval.

It will not be clear from the recordsdata why the federal government didn’t proceed with the plan – though price might properly have been a problem.

The briefing pack was dated March 2005, simply two months earlier than the overall election which returned Labour to energy for a 3rd successive time period, when Mr Blair’s consideration would have been targeted on different issues.