"WOOD Norton Conference Centre is to be closed to make way for the development of a retirement village resulting in the loss of 35 long-term jobs.

The conference centre, which has been sold to Richmond Care Villages for an undisclosed sum, is to be transformed into a number of homes and apartments with recreational and leisure facilities on the site.

If the plans are given the go ahead, the development will create 100 jobs.

Richmond, developer and operator of care and retirement communities in the UK, bought the conference centre from former owner John O'Grady.

"The centre has just become unviable," he said. "It's too expensive what with the high rates we're paying out and everything else, it just isn't making enough profit."

During the planning process, the conference centre will remain open and the changes will not affect the hotel, Wood Norton Hall.

"The hotel is expected to be fully reopened in the near future," he added. "Although the owner, Rick Hvizdak, is currently looking at plans to sell on the hotel, it needs a re-launch and a new company to take it over."

The hotel and conference centre was believed to have been bought for around £7.5m, five years ago. In 2004 the conference centre split from the hotel and was bought by Mr O'Grady for £3.4m.

Just this year, Mr O'Grady announced that a series of problems since the hotel went into receivership at the end of last year had led to a critical situation.

In December 2005, Mr Hvizdak closed the hotel's doors without warning and had to meet with creditors after ordering the closure following meetings in the US of the parent board and shareholders.

Staff were laid off with immediate effect and guests staying at the hotel were asked to leave after insolvency experts from Cheltenham-based Findlay James moved in.

The news of the centre's redevelopment follows the BBC's decision to keep training in-house, meaning that the future of its Wood Norton facility remains secure.

MP for Mid-Worcestershire Peter Luff has given an unqualified welcome to the decision.

"I've been closely involved with the consideration the BBC was giving to outsourcing aspects of the training provided at Wood Norton which I felt threatened the integrity and effectiveness of a very valuable centre of excellence." he said".