BOURNEMOUTH council may fund the construction of a planned luxury hotel as it is struggling to find a suitable developer.

The scheme to build a four-star hotel and hospitality training facility on the site of the former Winterbourne Hotel, Beacon Road car park and the former Georgian Cottage was refused planning consent in 2011 and eventually abandoned in 2015.

In a report to the authority's cabinet, due to make a decision next week, officers state that a new invitation to tender initiated in February this year "has not so far produced a proposal that will secure the development of a four-star hotel on terms that officers are able to recommend to cabinet".

Therefore, the report says, the authority's chief finance officer has "reviewed the financial viability of the project based on the council funding the construction of the hotel".

"He concludes that this may produce terms that will be acceptable to the council," it states.

"Therefore, it is proposed to vary this procurement in order to seek revised tender submissions based on a Council-funded construction contract.

"The obligations on the operator to work with the local higher and further education institutions in order to enhance the town’s reputation for excellence in the field of hospitality remain unchanged."

The site, next to the Bournemouth International Centre, overlooks the Priory Road car park.

Other proposals to be considered by cabinet at the meeting on Wednesday are the council operating the hotel through an "arms-length company", and abandoning the project, although, the report states, "the site of the former Winterbourne Hotel is subject to overage and buy-back arrangements if the hotel project is not progressed".

The 2011 scheme, put forward by Chesham Estates, involved a £45million 229-room Holiday Inn hotel and an on-site school for Bournemouth University and Bournemouth and Poole College to use for vocational training.

This plan was rejected by the planning board for being out of character with the area.

Then, board chairman David Kelsey said: “We are in favour of this development – but not in this guise.”

The building was criticised for its "box-like" structure and "dominant" town centre presence, although its eight storey height was just over half that of the 14-storey Hilton Hotel now neighbouring the site, which was completed in 2015.

Long earmarked for this type of development, the site was bought by South West Regional Development Agency in 2004 and handed to the council, but a 2007 plan stalled when developer Dawnay Day ran into financial difficulties.