AFTER more than two decades of planning and protracted negotiations, Bournemouth could finally boast the UK’s first hotel school.

A site next to the BIC has been earmarked for the hotel school which could create more than 200 jobs.

The project is aimed at creating a fully functioning four-star hotel which would also serve as a hands-on teaching environment for foundation degree hospitality students.

It was originally conceived in 1999 by the South West Regional Development Agency and Bournemouth University, in conjunction with Bournemouth and Poole College and the council. Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt was updated on the hotel school plans during his recent visit to Dorset.

Jeremy Pope from Destination Dorset told him: “We’re in the process, through the Regional Development Agency and Bournemouth Borough Council, of putting in place a revolutionary hotel school.”

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Pope, a former deputy chairman of the South West of England Regional Development Agency, said: “The hotel school would be created in Bournemouth but it will affect everybody in the region – there’s no reason why students shouldn’t come from across the country.”

Bournemouth council’s service director for technical services, Roger Ball, told the Daily Echo that the hotel training school concept was “unique to the UK”.

He added: “As a premier resort, providing successful conference facilities all year round, this venture could bring valuable opportunities to hospitality students studying in the town.

“It’s still early days on the progress of this project but we are in continuing discussions with Chesham Estates and our partners in the education sector.”

Buckinghamshire-based Chesham Estates managing director Julian Seabrook described the hotel school as “a very exciting development of huge importance to the hotel industry, both locally and nationally”.

He added: “It will be the first new four-star luxury hotel to be built in Bournemouth for a good many years and the first hotel school in this country.”

Commenting on the delay in getting the project off the ground, he said: “It has been time well spent to produce such an exciting project for Bournemouth.”