PLANS have been unveiled for a multi-million pound aquarium and maritime centre which could become an international attraction for Southampton.

The Southampton Living Waters project have produced a brochure inviting individual donors and corporate organisations to support a feasibility study into “a new maritime attraction with international reach”. 

It is hoped the attraction would combine aquarium displays and spectacular, state-of-the-art exhibits including a large-scale model of the Mayflower, the ship on which the Pilgrim Fathers sailed to America.

The project bears the strapline Storylines of Science, Technology and Life: Voyages of Discovery and would cover all aspects of the areas links with the sea past and present.

Its steering group is made up from representatives of Southampton City Council and its SeaCity Museum, the National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton Solent University, Hampshire County Council, Ocean Projects, The Wessex Chalk Stream and Rivers Trust, The Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute, The New Forest National Parks Authority, The Maritime Archaeology Trust, and SeeSouthampton Tour Group.

Southampton’s double Olympic gold medal-winning sailor Iain Percy is the project’s patron.

The committee behind the scheme, which has already been two years in development, believe the Living Waters centre could make Southampton a destination rather than just an embarkation point for the million or so people who pass through the city each year to board cruise ships.

Central to the project would be a living water aquarium - the steering committee says domestic and overseas visitors spend £1.35million per annum on visits to zoos and wildlife attraction and nearly one million UK holiday trips are made to an aquarium or sea-life centre.

The site would also include a conference centre, a facility city council leader Simon Letts says Southampton needs.

No details of sites are given in the brochure but the document does talk of a waterfront location.

When asked the project’s co-ordinator Dr Clive Bennett, former head of zoology at the University of Southampton, remained cagey but said it was unlikely the attraction could be incorporated in the Royal Pier development but said the Leisure World site “could be a strong contender”.

Leisure World has already been earmarked by the city council has a possible site for a massive new conference centre and live entertainment venue to rival Bournemouth International Centre, as revealed by the Daily Echo earlier this year.

It is the latest piece in a masterplan to turn Southampton into the "capital city of the South" and could also feature a hotel, restaurants, flats and public space. All the land is council owned.

Dr Bennett, a former chairman of the Southampton Environment Forum, said the first priority of a feasibility study would be identify possible sites and then construct a business case.

“There are some landowners out there who may be interested and may want to make a contribution to Southampton,” he added.

He was keen to stress that scheme was not pie in the sky. “There are exciting possibilities we don’t want this to be another ice rink idea.”

Dr Bennett said he had been inspired by a trip to California where he had seen plans for the improved aquarium. The steering group had also looked closely at Cité de la Mere in Cherbourg and Istanbul’s aquarium.

He also said the attraction would seek to complement the struggling Sea City museum rather than be a rival attraction.

Garry Momber, of the Maritime Archaeology Trust, said that Southampton had failed to exploit its maritime heritage.

“There is a big story to be told about Southampton and it’s not being told at the moment,” he told the Echo.

Alan Jones, director of Solent Sky aviation Southampton, welcomed the plan.

He said: "Southampton is a barren desert when it comes to tourism. Tourists just come through Southampton. Anything that will bring in tourists to Southampton is a good thing.  "The project sounds fine but they need to look at the whole of the heritage and how it all works together as a critical mass of attractions."

He added he hoped that the attraction would be on Southampton's waterfront.

Mr Jones added: "In my view for it to work it has got to be on the waterfront somewhere, it has to be somewhere where people can see the sea."

However city council leader Simon Letts said the council would not consider the project unless it saw a credible business plan.

Cllr Letts said: "They have no money and no resources. We have had several discussions with them and our assessment is that without a sensible business plan then it will not come to fruition.

"We have said go away and come back with a business plan and then we will think about it."