Bath Spa cost 'may rocket again'

Costs could still rocket above the £35m worst case scenario

The cost of the troubled Bath Spa project may rocket again, according to a report being put before the city council on Monday.

The bleak report, by independent consultants, also warns a completion date is as far off as ever.

It says costs could still exceed an expected "worst case scenario" of £35m - already far above the initial proposed price of £19m.

The spa should have opened in 2002 but has been plagued by problems.

Plans to refurbish the thermal spa have been a stop-start affair since the original project was unveiled in September 2000.

Restoration grant

An NHS spa treatment centre on the site was closed on health grounds in 1978 and since then, attempts to restore the spas have failed because of cost and concerns over the purity of the water's source.

But in 2000, the Millennium Commission gave a grant of £7.78m to refurbish five listed buildings within the complex, including the 18th Century Hot Bath and Cross Bath.

Work on the ambitious project began soon afterwards, but the scheme was plagued by a series of delays culminating in several further setbacks.

In April, Dutch contractor Bovitec was brought in to replace the paintwork.

The job is due to be completed in August, but the report issued to the council on Monday warns any estimates about completion dates should be treated with "the utmost caution".