The House of Assembly has applied for a new elevator shaft, more than a decade after calls were first made to install it.

On February 3, the House of Assembly asked for planning permission to build a ?proposed elevator/shaft and lobby area? at 21, Parliament Street, Hamilton.

12 years ago UBP backbencher John Stubbs was confined to a wheelchair and needed to be carried up the steps during the 1993 budget debate.

A month later? in March, 1993? then-PLP Senate leader Alex Scott, called for both the Senate and the House of Assembly to be made wheelchair-friendly and have elevators installed.

Then?Sen. Scott made his call after seeing Dr. Stubbs being carried up the stairs. He said he was worried about what would have happened in a fire or other mishap.

This week Jennifer Smith, the House of Assembly?s Deputy Speaker and Chair of the cross-party House and Grounds Committee, said the idea of the elevator was still going ahead even though Dr. Stubbs is now deceased.

?We on the current House and Ground Committee are now putting the plan forward,? Ms Smith said.

She said a ?wall will have to go? and they will have to ?take out bit of a hill? near the entrance to Supreme Court One in order to provide disabled parking spaces close to the elevator entrance.

?We also want to provide parking right next to the elevator so they can come right up,? she said.

The historical facade of the building was not going to be meddled with, she said, as the elevator shaft will be installed inside one of the already existing columns.

It will open up on the second floor near the woman?s bathroom and close-by to the gallery entrance.

By law, Houses of Parliament must provide a public gallery, she said.

Another 15 parking spaces will be added and the planning application for the new spaces was made in November, 2004. This will increase the number of spaces from 52 to 67.

?There are no proposed dates for construction,? she said. ?We do want to set an example for being accessible. The Houses of Parliament has lagged behind. but the new elevator and parking will help. Many more projects are to be done?.