Mowlem and council at war again over Bath Spa

The war of words has re-opened between Mowlem and Bath and North East Somerset Council over the troubled Bath Spa project.

Yesterday afternoon (Wednesday) the council released a single page of the report, compiled by STATS, into the pool's paint problems. This page, seen by the press, states the failure of the paint to adhere fully "are thought to derive from a combination of factors":

• The use of improperly applied, unspecified and/or approved and/or incompatible repair and filler/render materials.
  
• Inadequately prepared substrate surfaces.
  
• Application of the paint in cold conditions and/or onto cold surfaces.
  
• The use of multiple thin layer coating techniques.
  
• Contamination of the paint surfaces between layers.

The report also notes: the Caltite concrete could have had some effect on surface retention of condensation which might have adversely affected the bond; and there is evidence to suggest the paint product "might be prone to shrinkage in certain circumstances".

The report acknowledges the discoloration of the paint was to be expected, but suggests the paint manufacturer supplied "inappropriate advice".

The one page of the report released to the press concludes that "an appropriate remedial solution has not yet been finally determined".

A Mowlem spokesman maintained that the contractor remains committed to completing the project. However, Mowlem is "disappointed that the version of the report issued does not include any recommendations on how the situation might be resolved".

He described the executive summary sent to the media as "not a fair reflection either of the report itself or of the true position".

Mowlem maintains it applied the paint in accordance with the recommendations of the manufacturer. These recommendations "were not adequate", according to Mowlem.