A TOP North Yorkshire residential training centre is to have a £4 million makeover to turn it into a hotel and conference centre, bringing 32 new jobs with it.

The Longhurst Group, of Northumberland, which three years ago bought Burn Hall, at Huby, from the Water Training Industry, has announced the massive investment, with building expected to begin in November.

The effect will be to transform the 72-single bedroom Old Hall into a 95-double bedroom hotel with conference centre, gymnasium, a 150-seater event room, plus a doubling in size of the kitchens and dining room, as well as tripling the size of the bar.

It will also mean doubling the 32 staff to 64.

The 19th century Burn Hall, which is set in eight acres of farmland and landscaped gardens, will be reconfigured to have a new entrance into a conservatory which will house the reception area. The building will be refurnished.

Two of the bedrooms are being revamped now in time for the first of two open days on July 16 and August 6, when the public will be able to get a flavour of the concept by Pattison Architectural and Interior Designers, of Middlesbrough.

The hall serves as a training ground for numerous activities, including mechanical and electrical engineering, risk assessment and high voltage training courses, water industry training, as well as providing a facility for outside companies to hire the premises for day-long courses.

Janet Littlewood, general manager, said: "All these courses will be unaffected and you can be sure that we will have capacity for a lot more.

"We also want to attract wedding receptions as well as ordinary hotel clients looking for a leisurely weekend.

"We are excited about the prospect of a new hotel and bringing more jobs to the region. We have had a foretaste of what is to come by hiring a new head chef, Paul Sellers, whose skills were honed in top five star hotels of London's West End."

Updated: 11:37 Thursday, June 16, 2005