SCORES of new jobs, including some in a meeting-rooms-for-hire project, are on the cards for Medway under plans by Whitbread.

The hotels and restaurants giant hopes to extend its existing Travel Inn in Gillingham and to build more outlets in what it sees as a growth area.

If all its plans come to pass -- many are subject to local council planning permission -- about 250 jobs could be created across the county.

Some will come from a new Touchbase concept about to be introduced to Medway and the rest of Kent for the first time.

Touchbase has already been piloted at three locations and its success has convinced Whitbread bosses to extend the idea nationwide.

They claim it fills a gap for the increasing army of home workers who regularly need a space to meet colleagues and clients.

Touchbase will offer rooms of various sizes catering for small or larger meetings, with refreshments and office services on tap. Whitbread is pumping up to £1m into each outlet.

Paul Cowling, South East regional director, said Touchbases would be located at major motorway links and industrial areas, and would be reasonably priced.

"We've identified a massive need for people working from home who don't know where to have meetings," he said.

"We've had three trial sites in Swindon, Mansfield and Hemel Hempstead that have proved incredibly successful.

"The green light has been given to roll those out across the country and we've got another 10 sites we're working on and the good news is that two are in Kent. One will be in the Medway Towns and one will be in the Ashford area. It will create additional jobs, maybe a dozen in each."

Medway's first Touchbase could open close to the existing Travel Inn site in Gillingham.

Touchbase is part of a £21.4m investment across the south east creating 948 jobs. Around 250 could be in Kent and Medway, Mr Cowling said, adding that Whitbread was seeking sites for more Brewsters and Brewers Fayre pub restaurant outlets.

"We are looking at a number of sites within Kent to try and expand where we have gaps," he said.

"I see Kent and Medway as an absolutely crucial trading market for us. The county is going to get busier and busier, and with the Medway Towns and Ashford expanding the way they are, it is crucial for us to play an even bigger part."

Meanwhile, Whitbread announced full-year pre-tax profits up 14 per cent to £214m on sales of £1.78bn, up 3.5 per cent.

Mr Cowling said Whitbread had weathered the economic downturn and war with Iraq better than most.

More people were staying at home and spending their money at Whitbread outlets. He added that visitor numbers in the Garden of England, as reflected in its hotels, had held up "remarkably well."