PRIME Minister David Cameron has revealed the annual Conservative Party conference could be returning to Dorset.

Mr Cameron discussed his plans for future conferences with Dorset Echo editor Toby Granville and prospective Mid Dorset and North Poole Tory MP Michael Tomlinson at a meeting held at 10 Downing Street.

Mr Cameron said he was extremely fond of Bournemouth and in particular the Bournemouth International Centre, inset, but that the Conservative Party was currently tied in to holding the conference at Birmingham.

He added: “I very much like the ambience and acoustics of the Bournemouth International Centre and it would be great to move the conference back there in the next couple of years.”

“However, we could potentially look at using Bournemouth as a dual venue for conferences – alternating with Birmingham and other cities.”

The last Conservative Party conference held in Dorset was in 2006.

It was notable for being the first annual Conservative Party conference that Mr Cameron attended as leader of the political party.

Since then, the party has held its conferences at the NIA in Birmingham.

The arena has already been confirmed as the chosen venue for 2015, but the conference could return to Dorset in 2016.

Mr Cameron then hosted a reception for representatives from the regional press.

Following the meeting, Echo editor Mr Granville said: “The Conservative Party moving its conference back to Bournemouth would be a huge boost for the town and local economy – and I’m delighted to hear from the Prime Minister himself that it is still on his agenda.”

Mr Tomlinson added: “It would be excellent news; it would be really good for Bournemouth and have a knock-on effect across the county and its economy.”

The Lib Dems have already confirmed that they will return to the BIC in 2015, the first of the three main Parliamentary parties to do so since they held their autumn conference there in 2009.

The county’s last visit from a governing party was in 2007, when Gordon Brown seemed poised to announce an early general election but eventually backed away from the idea.