PLANS to transform land on the edge of Bournemouth into a medical research centre have moved forward after being backed by councillors.

At their meeting members of BCP Council’s cabinet gave the green light for part of the Wessex Fields site to be sold to University Hospitals Dorset.

Trust chief executive Debbie Fleming said the development of a research and education facility behind Royal Bournemouth Hospital would be a “real boost”.

The council ran a consultation on the future of the land at the beginning of the year to gauge public opinion on options for its use.

The most popular view was that the land should be centred around themes of healthcare, research and education.

After this the council began a “soft market exercise” to seek through which 15 organisations, including developers, affordable housing providers and charities suggested ideas.

Among them was University Hospitals Dorset which expressed an interest in using the whole site for medical and research uses, in partnership with Bournemouth University.

It included plans for 500 homes restricted solely for NHS workers and the creation of a wider medical research centre, including a “living lab”, which could create as many as 500 jobs.

This includes the new pathology lab – part-funded through a loan from the council – which is due to be completed next year.

Following discussions between the trust and the council it was later agreed that a deal for part of the site could be reached to allow other options for the remainder to be explored.

This proposal was put forward by cabinet member for regeneration, councillor Phil Broadhead at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.

He said the trust’s proposed development would be a “springboard” for a wider development of the Wessex Fields land.

“There’s a lot of work to do but we’ve got great partners and I’m very pleased that we’re now getting somewhere on this,” he said.

“By selling part of this land [to the trust], it enables the site to be unlocked and it’s very likely we will then be looking to develop the rest of it ourselves or with our partners.”

His proposal to approve the sale of part of the site to the trust was supported unanimously by the cabinet.

The decision gives the green light for negotiations to begin between the trust and the council to reach a deal.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Broadhead, said the unanimous agreement of the cabinet was “the start of a game changing, high tech future for Wessex Fields”.

“The provision of a cutting edge med-tech science park is exactly what we had originally envisioned,” he said. “I cannot overstate the huge benefits for the community that this decision will realise, expanding opportunities to create jobs, inviting further investment and unlocking congestion.”

Mrs Fleming said the scheme was “much-needed” and would be a “real boost” to its facilities.