Aberdeen City Council’s chief executive is under pressure to provide full public scrutiny of plans for a new exhibition and conference centre amid reports the cost could hit £300million.
The local authority’s top official, Angela Scott, ordered a review of the “affordability” of the proposed development in December last year.
Councillors are due to consider a business case for the project in March.
It was claimed last week that the price tag – originally estimated at £185million – had escalated to £250million.
Now Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart has suggested the bill could rise to £300million – a figure that has not been denied by the council.
The SNP politician has written to the chief executive calling for immediate “transparency” over the finances, including the projected annual running costs.
He said: “This should not be done behind closed doors, but should be open to public scrutiny.
“In fact, if the public is not allowed to know the costs of the new AECC, it will only fuel suspicion that there is something to hide and that it is not actually viable.”
The issue has become politicised, with SNP councillor David Cameron quitting the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) board in an ongoing row over the potential risk to the taxpayer from the scheme.
Last night, finance convener Willie Young said: “When Kevin Stewart was running the council we had six papers on the AECC which were all taken in confidence.
“We are as transparent as we can be with the public, bearing in mind the legal restrictions that are put upon us by the Scottish Government.”
The planned replacement facility at Bucksburn was announced with some fanfare by the Labour-led administration in 2013.
Then leader Barney Crockett said the existing site at Bridge of Don was “no longer fit for purpose” – and a new AECC would help secure money-spinning events such as Offshore Europe for years to come.
The council plans to enter into a 35-year lease for the new complex, and is believed to be prepared to underwrite up to £7.5million a year.
In recent years, about £1.3million of council cash has been allocated annually for the AECC.
The facility is estimated to generate about £100million for the wider economy each year, however.
An Aberdeen City Council spokesman said: “The chief executive will be bringing a report on the proposed development to the council meeting on March 4.”