A PROPOSAL to help people turn their homes into mini hotels is set to be kicked out by councillors.

Backbench members put forward the idea of the council helping people rent out their spare rooms to visitors following all-party discussions on the future of tourism in Blackburn with Darwen.

Similar schemes have been successful in European cities such as Dusseldorf in Germany, which hosts a large number of conferences.

A report to the councillors said that the borough had missed out on hosting some conferences because of a lack of accommodation after the closure of the County Hotel two years ago.

That prompted Tory councillor Alan Cottam to suggest that Blackburn copied Dusseldorf's scheme and held a database of people prepared to rent out their spare rooms to visitors until a new hotel is created in the town centre.

Despite ridicule from leading Labour councillors and town centre bosses, the project also won the backing of the Lib Dems and was included in a list of recommendations to the executive board, which meets next Thursday to discuss how tourism.

Responding to the suggestion, Coun Andy Kay, in charge of regeneration, argues in a report that the idea would be difficult to implement because the council would have to ensure all accommodation provided was up to national tourism standards.

He adds: "It is doubtful the council could meet the requirements because of the costs involved for private households in joining and maintaining membership of this quality grading scheme."

The idea is the only one of seven recommendations to be rejected. Others include improving availability of tourism information in town centres, backing plans for a new hotel and working with bus and train operators to promote tourism.

Coun Alan Cottam said: "It was a suggestion but not an alternative to a town centre hotel. I am not surprised the idea has not been taken on board."

Conservative leader Colin Rigby said: "We have been saying for a long time that scrutiny committees are effectively toothless because the executive board can ignore things it doesn't like."