A FUTURISTIC museum “fit for a king” will also cost a king’s ransom if is ever built, according to critics.

A freedom of information request to Southend Council from resident Colin Nickless revealed £50million will be needed to build the museum on Western Esplanade and a further £5million to fund exhibition items, up from the estimated £40million when the project was first mooted more than a decade ago.

However, nothing has been built and only the costs are rising which has led some to call for the project to be buried much like the Saxon warrior tomb it is due to show.

Ten years ago Southend Council decided it wanted a landmark building to house Saxon King artefacts found at a Priory Crescent burial ground in 2004. It would also display items brought up from the seabed off Southend Pier from the 350-year-old HMS London shipwreck.

However, the council currently has no money to fund this project and has admitted it will rely on grants from public bodies at a time when they are increasingly hard to secure. Mr Nickless, 42, of Plas Newydd, Southend, said: “I think in this time of austerity we shouldn’t be spending ridiculous amounts on this white elephant project which could be done cheaper elsewhere.

“There are problems with homelessness and question marks over funding on thinks like child services, social care and cuts in library services so spending so much money on something like this is outrageous .

“There is a lot of public anger about this. The museum could be in Priory Park for a lot less money.”

John Lamb, leader of Southend Council, is confident that the money will be found. He said: “It won’t all be down to the council. We will be looking at the Local Enterprise Partnership and certain businesses and the Arts Council.

“Because of the number of things we will have to go in there it will attract people not only from all over the country but the world.

“This is not just a normal museum. It will be an experience. We’ve already had organisations showing an interest and wanting to be part of it and it’s also got to come from Government through the Local Enterprise Partnership. It will be a massive investment. We need a premises fit for purpose for the Saxon King and also relics from the London. The people of Southend will have a first-class museum.”

After almost a decade of stagnation Southend Council hired Hawkins Brown Architects last year to reimagine the design (pictured) with a brief of providing an experience and high quality visitor attraction based on “Thames Estuary – the river that built the world”.

The council said a detailed business plan is currently being developed to be considered by councillors later this year.

The Saxon King in Priory Park (SKIPP) campaigners have long argued the new museum would be a costly mistake Member Sheena Walker said: “They are at last saying £50 million which we have been saying for ten years.

"You can probably double that now.

"A terrible waste of money when you think of the needs in the town.

"We could have had our Saxon village in Priory park ten years ago and been making a healthy profit.”