Dispute over Stoke-on-Trent council's concrete problems

A dispute has broken out over what a council thinks are serious problems with its new offices.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council was due to move into its new Smithfield headquarters in May but the then Labour leader said there were problems with the concrete slab floor.

New leader Dave Conway said there was a difference of opinion between developers and the council about the severity of the problem.

Developers say the problem is cosmetic.

Mr Conway, a City Independent who was elected council leader in May, said he thinks the problem is more serious than cosmetic.

"We're taking advice from the world-leading experts in concrete to help us get to the bottom of this, but we also need a bit of space and time as we go through the options," he said.

Developers Laing O'Rourke said: "We can confirm that some cosmetic detraction has occurred to the finish of some of the concrete panels on the Smithfield project in Stoke-on-Trent.

"This happened after their installation, and we are working closely with our client to rectify the situation. Independent specialists investigating this occurrence have indicated that this is an aesthetics issue only and does not affect the integrity of the structure."

The council announced the move from its civic centre in Stoke-upon-Trent to the new building in Hanley in 2012.

It said it was moving to promote Hanley as Stoke's "city centre".