CALLS have been made to stop spending money on consultation work to bring HMS Illustrious to Hull after the costs reached £540,000.
Hull City Council is exploring the possibility of bringing the decommissioned warship to the city as a major tourist attraction in time for the UK City of Culture celebrations in 2017.
The plan is to create a floating berth near The Deep, where the ship will remain for up to two years.
But there is no guarantee the vessel will even come to the city as the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has not decided where she should go, with rival bids from Portsmouth, Newcastle and China.
Opposition councillors are demanding no more money is spent on the project unless the MoD gives the plans the nod.
Councillor Claire Thomas says it is looking increasingly unlikely approval will be given, which means all the money spent to date, largely on consultation fees, will have been a waste.
She said: "The council's spend on a riverside berth for HMS Illustrious is becoming very concerning.
"It looks more and more like the council is going to waste hundreds of thousands of pounds on a project that might never happen.
"There is no guarantee the MoD would approve the council's plan to bring HMS Illustrious to the city."
Even if the MoD does give the go ahead, Cllr Thomas believes there are still many problems to overcome.
She said: "Even if the MoD did agree, there are many unanswered questions, such as whether Victoria Dock residents would be happy having the ship berthed outside their homes, whether there would be parking available, or even if there is a suitable access point by road.
"Some of the most congested roads in the city are in the area.
"There is also the question of where the money would come from to pay for the construction and running costs of the berth."
Cllr Thomas also believes the proposal is uneconomical.
She said: "The council's plans have already changed several times.
"It is now only asking for HMS Illustrious to be here for one or two years. There is a big question mark over whether it is right to spend such a large amount of money for such a small return.
"I'm calling on the council to halt any further spending on the project. The council should find out whether Illustrious is actually going to come to Hull before spending any more taxpayers' money."
The local authority insists the consultation has not just been about HMS Illustrious and there is a long-term project for a permanent cruise ship terminal.
In a statement it said: "The money invested to date extends considerably beyond the HMS Illustrious project and includes assessing the feasibility of a permanent city centre riverside berth and other projects with the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
"These projects all focus on making Hull a world-class visitor destination and creating a lasting legacy from Hull's tenure as UK City of Culture."
The council also insists the money spent will be provide value for money.
The statement said: "A key element of our City Plan is to attract visitors to the city and creating further jobs, investment and employment opportunities for our residents
"The benefits generated from these projects will significantly outweigh the investment from the City Plan budget.
"This should also act as a catalyst for considerable private sector investment, which will have a far wider positive impact on the economy of the city and the wider region."
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