Capita Symonds launches rescue mission for troubled Bath Spa

The new project manager of the disaster-prone £40m Bath Spa project has two weeks to draw up plans to complete the project, after the sacking of contractor Mowlem earlier this month.

Capita Symonds, also the scheme’s contract administrator, started a structure audit last Friday. The firm has given itself until early May to come up with a rescue plan, and will then hire subcontractors to carry out the completion.

Jonathan Goring, director at Capita Symonds, said: “We are likely to keep some of the existing contractors and bring in new ones. The client will have direct control of the contractors, which will increase transparency and allow any issues to be dealt with one by one.”

He added that he would place “more senior people than usual” on the project. Capita Symonds is sending a team of three.

“Our plan is to re-energise the process at Bath Spa. We took it on because we specialise in complex projects,” said Goring. The firm project managed the Millennium Dome and is also working on the new Wembley stadium.

The scheme’s client, Bath and North East Somerset council, sacked the contractor on 8 April and Capita Symonds was appointed the same week, following a formal tender process.

The new approach to procurement is the brainchild of John Betty, who joined the council in January as director of major projects. His plan was to combine both the roles of contract administrator, held by architect Grimshaw, and project manager, held by Gardiner & Theobald.

The councillor responsible for the Spa, Nicole O’Flaherty, said: “We felt there was a conflict of interest because Grimshaw was the Spa’s designer and also the people the builder complained to about design faults.”

Gardiner & Theobald was invited to re-tender for the new combined role, but declined. “They are a very professional project management firm and didn’t wish to take on the contract administrator role” said O’Flaherty. Grimshaw remains the project architect.

Capita Symonds kicked off work on the site on 15 April with an audit of conditions, which is expected to last three weeks and result in a new scheme of work and procurement.