MORE than 300 hotel jobs are being created in a £40 million scheme to make Chatham Maritime one of Britain's top conference venues. The go-ahead for a four-star hotel and conference complex for up to 1,000 delegates follows 12 months of planning.

As well as the 300-plus hotel jobs, the scheme will provide hundreds more in construction and conference organisation. Local firms are also set to benefit from the work it will bring to the area. The hotel, which could be up to 10 storeys, will be called The Chatham Maritime. It will be built on a waterfront site close to the historic Bell Mast and Medway tunnel, and open late 2003/early 2004.

The ambitious project has won final backing from South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and building group Miller Construction. Hotel operators have also been approached. It is the brainchild of local firm Jade Hotels, based in Byron Road, Gillingham.

Director Jane Holland, who grew up in Gillingham before going abroad, and husband Derek, a New Zealand-born hotel expert, have been working on the plan for more than a year. Other directors are Bob Egan, who has wide experience in factory management, and company secretary Alan Dilgert, who lives in Gillingham.