The spa project is dividing political opinion in Bath

Dan Norris, Labour MP for Wansdyke, said it was unfair rural constituents partly funded the project.

He suggested the solution would be for North East Somerset to form its own authority. "It's gone beyond the point of no return," Mr Norris said.

The spa project is two years behind and is costing twice the �19m estimated.

Mr Norris said: "If they had Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi and Bob Geldof all working together, they couldn't save BaNES [Bath & North East Somerset Council] now.

"It's got to the point where my constituents don't have faith in anything the council says and the spa has now sealed their fate."

But Paul Crossley, leader of BaNES, said the cost of establishing a new authority would be too high and could not be justified.

"The cost of creating a new authority is absolutely huge - the rural people would lose the advantages we provide them with and we were only reorganised for the last time some 12 years ago.

"I think the MP is just concentrating on one issue which is a small part of the budget.

"The (spa) cost is split three ways between ourselves, the operator and the heritage fund. It's a high-profile project and it's one we are trying to resolve."