Tony Blair considered building secret bunker under Downing Street in case of terror attack, new files reveal
A major redevelopment plan for Downing Street, costing hundreds of millions of pounds, has been drawn up under Tony Blair, according to newly released official files; this includes an underground “safe haven” to be used in the event of a terrorist attack.
Codenamed Project George, the hugely ambitious program included plans for a two-storey “underground suite” below garden 10, which would feature a conference hall that could seat 200 people and also serve as a shelter in the event of a terrorist attack.
There would even be a new underground service road so VIP visitors would no longer have to share the famous No 10 black gate entrance with deliveries and rubbish collections, according to a briefing pack published at the National Archives at Kew, west London.
A separate new entrance would be built for staff and “general visitors”, a cafe and “break area” would be built in an atrium outside No. 10 courtyard, and “recreational facilities” would be built in the basement.
Plans, no. It stretched from 11 and 12 Downing Street to 70 Whitehall, home of the Cabinet Office; These would be given a new glass-fronted extension with sun screens to prevent excessive heat build-up and provide explosion-proof glazing.
The proposals aimed to address the dilapidated state of the property, which dates back to the 17th century, with no major refurbishment since the 1960s, with sewerage, mains power and IT systems regularly failing.
“The main reason for this project is serious deficiencies that restrict the full and effective use of the buildings,” the briefing package said.
“These are leading to increasing incidences of unacceptable failure of critical services that are inappropriate for such an important vital government authority.”
The buildings, which house the offices of hundreds of civil servants as well as the official residences of the prime minister and chancellor, would have to be evacuated for two years while construction continued.
This would be paid through a private finance initiative (PFI) and the costs would be spread over 30 years, peaking at £63 million in 2006/07 and falling to £25.5 million per year for the remainder of the period.
It is not clear in the files why the government did not implement the plan; but cost may well be an issue.
The briefing packet was dated March 2005, just two months before the general election that brought Labor to power for a third consecutive term, when Mr Blair’s attention would be focused on other matters.
