The resentment behind the spa project

Mowlem is answering allegations by Bath and North East Somerset Council that it has not had any detailed proposals yet.

Last Friday, Mowlem released a press statement saying it was prepared to take over the spa project at a cost of no more than �26m.

The council claimed it had not received any firm proposals from the company.

Mowlem said it would guarantee an opening date of six months after any agreement was signed, and would bear the cost of any more delays or problems, instead of tax-payers.

Rebuffed

Mowlem released another statement on Tuesday detailing its attempts to hold meetings with BANES since last November.

It claims they were either rebuffed, ignored, or greeted without enthusiasm.

The company says it put a written proposal to the council on the 15 December, but very little came of it.

BANES leader, Paul Crossley, says what has been received from Mowlem so far amounts to "little more than corridor chatter" and compared the plans to something "written on the back of a fag packet".

The council says it is still waiting to see anything more substantial.

Meanwhile, architect Grimshaw is no longer performing its secondary role of contract administrator for the attraction - the job of ensuring the building is being constructed as the design specifies.

BANES is advertising the role, along with project manager, citing the desire to avoid a conflict of interest.