TAXPAYER cash used to pay for Weston's See Monster has been 'squandered', according to the chair of an influential Parliamentary committee.
The decommissioned gas platform - delivered by art studio New Substance - opened at the Tropicana last week following a two-month delay and hopes to spread messages of a sustainable future.
A £120million government fund helped the Unboxed: Creativity in the UK festival, which holds charitable status, supply ten major projects across the country this summer.
But in August, an investigation conducted by political magazine The House found the project has seen just 0.36 per cent of expected total visitors, leading some to brandish it as a 'vast waste of money'.
READ MORE: See Monster to open in Weston this week after delays
Now Julian Knight MP, chair of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee in Parliament, has called for a watchdog investigation into the financial management and delivery of the Unboxed festival.
The Mercury reported concerns about See Monster's delay in June, with one council source claiming Weston could find itself as the country's 'laughing stock' if the attraction was delayed until September.
READ MORE: Fears Weston will be UK 'laughing stock' if See Monster delayed until September
They said: "New Substance and Unboxed don't care about what we locals think because they've been given inordinate budgets by the government and don't want to be seen as failing - this is the public purse they're dealing with.
"It's such a shame their incompetence has led us to the situation we currently find ourselves in."
Mr Knight, MP for Solihull, has written to the National Audit Office calling the project a 'fiasco'.
He said: "I have asked for an immediate investigation into the £120million spent on the Unboxed festival.
"At a time of serious financial pain for families, questions need answering on how much taxpayer money has been spent on this fiasco.
"The design and delivery of Unboxed has been an unadulterated shambles from the very start. The paltry numbers attracted to the festival despite such a hefty investment highlight just what an excessive waste of money the whole project has been.
READ MORE: See Monster in Weston: What to expect?
"It would take optimism beyond belief for it to now reach its target for visitor numbers.
He added: "There are serious questions that need answering as to how such a vast amount of taxpayer cash has been allowed to be squandered."
Critics claimed last month that See Monster's delivery in the poor autumn weather could force it to close for health and safety reasons.
Earlier this week, the attraction closed temporarily for two days and visitor access was restricted due to high winds.
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