Councillors give mixed response to Bath Spa project

The first group of politicians to be allowed to see Bath Spa since Mowlem was thrown off site have given mixed responses about the current state of the venue.

The first of several tours being held to give all 65 Bath and North East Somerset Council members the chance to see the beleaguered building was held yesterday (Wednesday).

An audit is still being carried out by new project manager Capita Symonds following the departure of Mowlem, who were due to meet legal experts today to what legal action to take against the council.

Councillor Les Kew (Con, High Littleton) said following the tour: "Everything looks a bit shabby, because they have had to take up all the floor tiles to expose the damp-proofing on the floors. It does look a bit of a building site, but I'm sure there will be a remedy to this."

Councillor John Bailey (Con, Bathwick) said it was hard to form an honest assessment as some of the areas were still barriered off.

"It seems as though a lot of the things that I saw, without asking detailed questions, are things that normally should have been dealt with professionally by the relevant parties."

However, Councillor Dine Romero (Lib Dem, Southdown) was more upbeat. "The work that has been completed seemed to be very impressive," she said. "Obviously we are waiting to see what extra work still needs to be done, but I could certainly see the potential."