THE Green Party says it is expecting a record-breaking attendance when it brings its autumn conference to Bournemouth for the first time this year.

Bournemouth has not seen an autumn political conference since 2009, but will host both the Greens and the Liberal Democrats this month.

The Greens say they are “incredibly proud” after Simon Bull became their first Bournemouth councillor in May – one of only three non-Conservatives among the 54 borough councillors.

The party will be calling for electoral reform, after it polled 1.1million votes at the general election but saw only one MP elected.

Green Party conference and events coordinator Louise Greenbaum said: “We’ve experienced unprecedented growth in our numbers during this election year.

“After record attendance at our spring conference in Liverpool earlier this year, we are now preparing for a similar attendance this month.

“Fortunately, Bournemouth International Centre has more than enough capacity to cope. Apart from its capacity and choice of spaces, the venue is a good choice for us as it has solid environmental credentials reflected in, for example, its impressive energy use management and sustainable catering provision.”

Winton East councillor Simon Bull said: “We appreciate that not everyone can easily afford the cost of the conference, travel and accommodation so we are using our network of Green Party members and supporters to find spare rooms for delegates to stay in at a very reasonable price.

“We think it’s really important that we’re all inclusive as a party and members that want to come shouldn’t be dissuaded due to their financial limitations.”

South East Dorset Green Party is organising events in the town centre and on the beach, giving national Green Party candidates the chance to socialise and network with ‘green’ community groups in Bournemouth.

Speakers at the conference from September 25-28 will include party leader Natalie Bennett and Brighton’s Green MP Caroline Lucas.

Conference tickets are still available for members via the party’s website, while non-members can buy a ‘taster ticket’ on the door for £5.