The firm building Dundee’s new swimming pool has rejected rumours of problems with the project, and insisted work is “progressing well”.
Lindsay Cowan, spokesman for builders Mansell, said the project is moving along “nicely” with the pool basins having been created and the basement wall now in place.
The inner curtain is being installed this week before the outer wall is constructed.
”The curtain wall is being put in this week and we are totally happy with where we are now,” Mr Cowan said. ”The basement wall couldn’t be built until the basins were in place and the curtain couldn’t be erected until the wall was constructed. The outer wall will follow on from that.
”At the beginning of the project it was suggested that it should be built the other way, but our advice was to do it the way we did and we are exactly where we wanted to be with it. It’s all coming along nicely.”
Mr Cowan was speaking in response to rumours circulating that the project was behind schedule because of serious structural defects, meaning the side wall couldn’t be put in place until remedial work had taken place.
He dismissed that rumour as ”absolute poppycock” and said the building work is progressing well.
A city council spokesman said: ”There are no structural problems with the building and work is progressing. The curtain walls will be put up later this week and the external walls will follow.”
Cold weather and staff training have previously been cited as reasons behind delays to the £31 million project to replace the Olympia, which mean it will not be open to the public until early in 2013.
Stewart Murdoch, managing director of Leisure and Culture Dundee, said that while the project was running on budget, it was currently around three weeks behind schedule.
”The pool should be ready by the end of 2012 but it won’t open to the public until the start of 2013,” he said.
That was due to holidays and staff training prior to the pool opening.