Media centre collapse questioned

Part of the 2million town centre regeneration project came crashing down in May, during the early stages of its redevelopment.

The collapse led to Sea Space, the company set up to deliver the town's regeneration projects, submitting brand new, more profitable proposals, which were passed at Wednesday's planning meeting.

It was hoped the Robertson Street centre would use the original Victorian facade, but the new plans involve the complete flattening of the building - to be replaced with a modern, seven-storey block.

Councillors at the meeting queried the initial building work, believing builders must have known tearing down walls would result in its collapse.

Councillor David Hancock said: "It's either deliberate or bad workmanship. I'm very unhappy with the process. Knocking out all the support walls obviously made it unsafe. It's either a conspiracy or cock-up theory. This way they have avoided asking for consent to demolish it. They are limbo dancing under the regulations in my view. That this was done by a public body makes it 100 times worse."

Councillor Andrew Cartwright said: "External walls require floors, any builder is going to know that. It's a bit weird that we're in this situation."

Councillor Pam Brown thought Sea Space had been "devious" in their handling of the development.

Sea Space spokesman Jayne Skipper said: "No one could have predicted this was going to happen. It is clearly not in our interest to have this situation happen. We have had delays in developing the programme and additional costs, we have gone over budget on the scheme.

"The new plans will eventually be more viable, but any extra money will go back into the town's regeneration. "

The new building will be an extra storey high than the original plans - including an additional floor of accommodation, using modern ceilings instead of the higher ones dictated by the original facades. The centre will include a restaurant and offices, and is due for completion in summer 2005.

Vicky Banham, spokesman for contractors Llewellyn Rok, said: "The suggestion that we would put our workers at risk on purpose is absolutely ridiculous. People tend to assume building is a simple process, a case of putting one brick on top of the other, but it is a complicated process, especially working with existing buildings."