Bath Spa contractor Mowlem – which vacated the UK site after Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) cancelled the company’s contract for the scheme in late April – publicly reiterated its offer on 13 May to deliver the spa within six months for a one-off fee.

Mowlem’s offer – which was first made on 10 February – said the contractor would redesign the floors, complete all of the works, fit out the spa building for the operator and complete all commissioning and training within six months of the agreement for a one-off sum of £26m.

BANES has declined to respond but one of its councillors, Malcolm Hanney, said: “The council’s view is that the problems with regard to the paint and the floor are issues of design and workmanship and Mowlem failed to comply.

“Mowlem’s design and build offer didn’t have a fixed date on it and wasn’t actually issued until a month after they said it was.

"It would have taken the cost nearer to £50m and expected the council to waive all of its claims and it wasn’t prepared to do that – especially with respect to the workmanship issues.

“It was not a serious offer – it was a public relations offer.”

According to Hanney, the new project manager of Bath Spa, London-based Capita Symonds, has indicated April 2006 as a “good date” for completion, providing there are no further unexpected design or workmanship issues.

Mowlem also claims it had warned BANES of “serious flaws in the design of the steam room floors” since summer 2004 and that the council has now adopted the design that Mowlem first proposed to them in December 2004. Details: www.bathnes.gov.uk