COLCHESTER MP Bob Russell has been challenged to get behind the town’s controversial arts venue and help make it a success.

Firstsite, originally known at the Visual Arts Facility, or Vaf, will officially open on Sunday, September 25 with an exhibition called Camulodunum, celebrating the town’s heritage.

With the opening less than three months away, Colchester Council’s Tory commerce spokesman Will Quince urged the Lib Dem MP – one of the centre’s most vocal critics – to endorse it.

With the final bill for the project set to be in the region of £25million and millions more likely to be spent running it, Mr Quince said it was crucial Firstsite was a success.

He added: “I would like to put a challenge to Bob Russell to get behind this, support it and let’s make it work.

“He is the MP for the town and it’s his job to promote the town. We have to put the politics aside and make it work.

“If we do that, we will have an incredible asset for the town. It’s a stunning building.”

However, Mr Russell declined to take up Mr Quince’s invitation, arguing nobody would suddenly decide to visit the venue just because he turned around and recommended it.

He said: “People will make up their own minds.

“I value the judgement and intelligence of the people of Colchester to decide for themselves what leisure activities they decide to go to.”

The MP said he would visit the centre at some point, but it was not a priority for him.

Because of the amount of public funding going towards its running costs – including £2.5 million from the Arts Council over three years – he hoped it would not be a failure.

He added: “I’m sure there are plenty of arts organisations which would love to have that kind of money.”