Gee Construction set for legal battle over 'botched and delayed' project

Gee Construction is reported to have had its £3m leisure centre contract with Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) terminated.

Already 12 months late, the client will now take over direct management.

Today’s edition of the Watford Observer refers to the “botched and delayed redevelopment”.

It says: “The authority could no longer tolerate delays and funding problems to a project running nearly one year behind schedule and would now take over direct management.”

Gee’s work began in March 2007. The £3m award was to construct two new swimming pools, exercise studios and a gymnasium.

Work was scheduled to finish in just 12 months.

But the project suffered from delays and technical problems. The gym and other improvements did finally opened in December, but the swimming pools still remain unavailable to the public.

Conservative group leader Councillor David Sansom told the paper that a costly legal dispute is in the air.

 “How much is this all going to cost? When we start taking legal action we’re looking at tens of thousands of pounds. The sky’s the limit,” he told the Observer. “The whole project has been a disaster.”

Councillor Chris Whately-Smith, the Liberal Democrat cabinet member for leisure, reported: “We have tried to work with Gee but their inability to proceed is unacceptable. We have rejected their demands for more time and more money and have already deducted damages for late completion. We will robustly defend any action taken against us.”

When approached by CJ, a spokesman for Gee Construction declined to add any further comment.