The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has cited “bomb blast design requirements” as the main reason behind the East Stand development project at Twickenham in London going more than £10m (€11.4m/$13.9m) over budget.
Plans are in place to bring all corporate hospitality at the home of English rugby union under one roof in time for this year’s autumn internationals.
The initial budget had been set at £55m, but the Daily Mail newspaper reports that this proposed spend has now been increased to £65.5m and could go even higher as the RFU seeks to ensure the venue is safe from potential terrorist attacks.
In addition, the RFU is facing extra fire safety requirements for cladding at the stadium after the Grenfell Tower disaster. In June of last year, 71 people were killed and scores more injured when cladding on the London tower block caught fire, completely destroying the building.
A recent report from the British Safety Council said that Twickenham has “some longstanding procedural and cultural issues that fall short of world-class standards”.
An RFU spokeswoman confirmed that work is ongoing to ensure these standards are met: “We keep health and safety under constant review and if there are areas we can improve, we will.
“It is not unusual for costs for construction projects to rise once the work is under way — the East Stand project is still on track and within the overall budget.”
Image: Twickenham
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