BLUE is the colour this time as Thurrock Council's showcase new building continues to leak!

Just over two weeks ago, Thurrock Nub News featured the embarrassing sight of a red bucket collecting drips from the roof of its newly-named town hall.

The cash-strapped and much-criticised local authority again found itself red-faced as water fell from the ceiling of its new building – just days after it was described as a superb venue and state of the art facility by leading councillors.

Nub News also reported on the fact that offices were unable to be used because of other problems relating to damp and mould, despite the building only being open for a few weeks.

It took the council a week to come up with a response, which was: "As with any new building there are teething troubles that present themselves as that building comes into use and are often soon rectified.

"There has been an issue with water dripping through a skylight in the main atrium during periods of heavy rain, work is underway to repair that.

"There has also been some damp and mould in a toilet, which is in the process of being addressed. Staff working in the office adjacent to this toilet have been temporarily relocated to elsewhere in the building as a precautionary measure while the cause of the issue is located and repairs implemented."

Residents in council properties across the borough are used to delays and problems in getting repairs done to their homes. It seems the council itself suffers the same problem.

Today (Thursday, 17 November) as visitors to the building including councillors and staff climbed the main stairwell, a bucket was back, with more water falling from above. The only change appeared to be that new bucket was blue – the laughter and quips at the calamity council's expense from passers by remained the same!

The cost of the new building continues to be no laughing matter though.

Over the past two years the ruling Conservative group and the the council's now suspended CEO Lyn Carpenter, assiduously insisted the cost of the new extension, now known as the town hall but described a 'vanity project' by opposition councillors, would be on budget and less than £10 million.

Sources within the council, leaking not water but a best guess, say that now the accounts are finally being scutinised the total cost is going to be far in excess of that. As yet, the council have not splashed out with a comment on the true cost. Perhaps it will be drip fed in due course among all the other bad news flowing out of the building!