Colchester MP Bob Russell, whose constituency includes Rafael Viñoly’s visual arts centre, has rubbished the decision to retain him on the Battersea Power Station redevelopment.

Russell, who has been the Liberal Democrat MP for the town since 1997, has been a vocal critic of the centre, called the Firstsite Visual Arts facility, which finally opened its doors in September.

In a letter to the Evening Standard, Russell questioned the move by developer Almacantar to ask Viñoly to help out with its bid to build a new stadium for Chelsea Football Club on the Battersea site.

“Before people get carried away that Viñoly may somehow be the saviour of Battersea Power Station, I urge them to consider his most recent landmark project, which came in three years late and 60% over budget.”

He added: “[The Colchester complex] is an appalling building completely out of scale and out of character in Britain’s oldest recorded town. Whatever the fawning ‘arts’ lobby say, most local residents hate it.”

Almacantar, which has been hired by the Premiership football club, has also asked KPF to help it with its bid.