Jury raises cost concerns over Olympics aquatic centre

Concerns over the rising cost of the £303m London Olympics aquatics centre were raised by a jury even before the Zaha Hadid design was chosen.

A panel convened to decide on the design were worried it was vague and would lead to unspecified budget rises.

They were also concerned about maintenance of the timber ceiling, which is being rethought because of fears moisture may cause it to warp.

The jury also were concerned the centre’s use in legacy was “not well thought through”, according to Freedom of Information documents obtained by the Guardian.

Despite all these concerns, and admitting the “detail of the scheme was not as well developed (as its competitors)”, the Zaha Hadid design was signed off.

Since being chosen, the aquatics centre has been at the centre of a number of budget scandals, with a House of Commons committee saying spiralling costs showed officials “are willing to spend money like water”.