No decision in spa row

Work on the spa project has stopped

A row over work to finish the long-awaited Bath Spa project is continuing after appeal court judges reserved their decision on the dispute.

The £26m scheme to reopen the city's thermal spa pools to the public for the first time since 1978 has been delayed for months after a disagreement over peeling paint.

In October, a High Court judge ruled that building contractor Mowlem should strip paint from the pools to find out what was causing the problem.

But the company says its reputation is at stake and has applied to the Court of Appeal to have the original order overturned.

More time

Bath and North East Somerset Council and Mowlem are locked in dispute over the paint which is coming loose from four swimming pools at the site.

The council blames the company's failure to build a proper concrete layer. The firm say the council's choice of paint is to blame for the problems.

At the hearing on Tuesday, Lord Justice Brooke, Lord Justice Mance and Mr Justice Park said they needed more time to consider their decision.

Lord Justice Brooke did not indicate when the court would give judgement in the matter.

Bath's thermal spa pools have been off limits to the public since 1978, when the NHS closed its treatment centre on health grounds.

Work on the project to reopen them began in September 2000, and was expected to last two years, but has been delayed on numerous occasions.