Cost of Bath Spa scheme escalates

The Spa costs have spiralled

The full cost of Bath's Spa project could be considerably higher than was originally budgeted for.

An internal Bath and North East Somerset Council report, seen by BBC News Online, says the total cost of the project could be up to £35m.

Earlier this week the council said it was facing a £4m bill for repainting the pools, which have caused much of the hold-ups to the spa's opening.

The estimate in the report is three times that of the original cost.

The £35m figure relates to the total cost of the project "...should the high risk costs prove correct, if all claims are proven against the council, and if no recovery proves possible for the costs of the pool paint."

Included in this are claims by the contractor Mowlem against the council, which have doubled from £3.2m to £7.5m.

The spa project is funded in part by an £8m Millennium Commission grant.

There remains no projected opening date.