BOURNEMOUTH council is seeking independent advice on building a hotel next to the BIC.

Back in May the borough was forced to abandon its plans to borrow some £70 million from the Public Works Loan Board to fund construction on the site of the former Winterbourne Hotel.

Council leader Councillor John Beesley said a "huge amount of work" was done on the scheme, while Cllr Philip Broadhead, cabinet member for economic growth, said criticism of the proposal, including a legal challenge launched by other hotel groups, was "spurious".

Nevertheless, the borough's leadership agreed to go back to the drawing board. Cllr Broadhead said: "It is about moving forward positively, and engaging with people."

Asked for an update on the scheme this week, a council spokesman said: "We are commissioning independent advice on the best route to progress this project and will take a report to the council’s cabinet for decision when this analysis is complete."

The council never officially revealed figures connected with the project, despite getting close to signing up a development partner in Mill Lane Estates.

The Echo learned details of the scheme through sources in the hotel industry, many of whom felt it would prove not to be financially viable, leaving the council with a huge debt to pay off, and would also put some smaller hotels out of business.

Critics argued that council officers were not experienced enough to judge the feasibility of a major hotel scheme, while property consultancy firm Savills, which was appointed to advise on council figures in November, said the borough "may not place reliance" on its report, "which appears contrary to statements made by the council in publicly available documents".

The legal challenge launched by Peel Hotels and Bespoke Hotels in April claimed the borough had broken the law by, allegedly, not properly tendering its scheme.

Back in May Cllr Broadhead said alternative funding options for the scheme would be considered, and the procurement process would be reopened, while another cabinet member Cllr Mike Greene invited "the objectors and mutterers" to take the opportunity to get involved.

"I am pleased we are going to find out whether those seeking to frustrate this, to the cost of the town and council tax payers, will put up or shut up," he said.

The council has major long-term plans for the whole Pier Approach area, including a "landmark cultural quarter overlooking the seafront" on the former IMAX site and Bath Road car parks, according to Cllr Beesley, to be developed via the council's public/private partnership Bournemouth Development Company and architects Zaha Hadid.

Cllr Beesley said the borough will need profits from completed developments, including the Winter Gardens scheme, to fund this work over "perhaps five to 10 years".