A year after Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet agreed to spend up to £7 million on removing the cladding on the David Murray John Tower, nothing visible has been done.

In February last year, the then-Conservative cabinet approved a plan to put up scaffolding and netting around the building to allow the external walling to be replaced.

The work needed will be so disruptive that tenants will be rehomed and the 13 leaseholders who own their own flats in the building will be able to sell them back to the council at the market rate.

That is expected to cost about £1.8m, with the works costing about £5m.

But now, at a meeting of the council's overview and scrutiny committee earlier this week, the Labour cabinet member for finance Kevin Small was asked why no work had started on the 20-storey tower.

Councillor Daniel Adams asked: “A year ago we learned there was work needed to make the building safe, but that work has not been seen.”

Cllr Small said the project was still being worked on: “Because the tower is directly above the Brunel Centre putting scaffolding up is impractical and now we are looking at putting what is in effect bubble wrap around it.”

Cllr Small added that work was continuing to rehouse the tenants.

Cllr Adams had asked about what the council’s long-term plan for the tower, builty in 1976, was and whether the council would ever think about selling it.

Cllr Small said: “We are looking at the private sector for the regeneration of the tower; we are talking to First Investment, the owner of the Brunel Tower and are looking to see if that’s a viable future for the DMJ.

“We hope there is, because it’s an iconic building in the town centre.”

Cllr Small added that the priorities for the council were to first make the building safe and then look at its long-term future.

Asked by Councillor Junab Ali whether leaseholders, who had bought their flats from the council, had been contacted and informed about what was going to them and whether they could sell their properties, the council’s director of place, Richard Bell told the committee that leaseholders had been contacted in September and October last year with offers at market value.

He added: “Most of the leaseholders have accepted the offer.”