Council pays to repair spa paint

Paint inside the pools peeled off

A council is to bear the financial costs of resolving a row over the paint used at Bath's spa project.

The £26m scheme to reopen Bath's spa pools to the public has already been delayed several times.

There is an ongoing disagreement between building contractor Mowlem and Bath and North East Somerset Council over peeling paint at the pools.

A spokesman for BaNES said: "The costs involved are substantial and may range from between £3.4 to £4.3m."

In October 2003, a High Court judge ruled building contractor Mowlem should strip paint from the pools to discover what was causing the problem.

In January, the company applied to overturn the original order.

Bath and North East Somerset Council (BaNES) and Mowlem were then locked in a dispute over the paint which was coming loose from four swimming pools at the site.

In February Lord Justice Mance upheld a court order requiring construction firm Mowlem to allow another contractor on to the site to test the paint.

At the same time Mowlem was ordered to finish the job.

The costs involved in analysing and resolving the paint issue are substantial BaNES spokesman

The judge said further delays to the project would cause "unquantifiable" damage to the local economy and public confidence.

BaNES has now confirmed its decision to replace the defective paint on the four pools with an alternative two-part epoxy paint.

A spokesman said: "In order to reduce loss and delay in difficult circumstances not of its own making, the council has no reasonable alternative but to take control itself.

"This means initially accepting responsibility for the costs of the remedial work. However, the council expects to be seeking recovery of these costs from accountable parties.

"Mowlem has been instructed to establish a firm programme for completion and initial estimates suggest that, with the co-operation of Mowlem, work will be completed by the autumn of this year."

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

There remains no projected opening date.