ECONOMIC development and job creation are vital to the prosperity of Worcester and the region.

But how would the major parties at the city council go about attracting businesses and keeping them in the city?

Councillor Martin Clarke, cabinet member for economic development with the ruling Conservative group, said cabinet members visit big employers in the city, such as Mazak, Reality, Atkins and Royal Worcester Porcelain, to talk through issues.

He added that the new role of economic development officer included working with industry on brownfield site regeneration.

"For example, we have worked closely with University College Worcester on developing the former Royal Infirmary site, in Castle Street, earmarked for a new university campus, which would create hundreds of jobs," he said.

Labour councillor Marc Bayliss agreed that brownfield regeneration in the city was important but said Worcester was "part of a bigger area" when it came to attracting new businesses.

"When competing for international business we have to present the whole package. We have a very strong local economy.

"We have great facilities in the city and outside the city - we mustn't be too parochial."

He said he would like to see the whole county linked up to full-speed broadband - as the lack of it was holding back business development - and said it was important to support the area's manufacturing base, which was "still going through difficult times".

Paul Griffiths, chairman of Worcester Liberal Democrats, said more could do be done to exploit the potential of brownfield sites.

"The city council should do more to ensure that land set aside for employment is used for the kind of high-skilled jobs that many Worcester residents currently have to commute to find," he said.

"For example, it could encourage the development of a medical technology business cluster associated with the Royal Worcestershire Hospital.

"It is important, however, that brownfield land should be used in preference to undeveloped open space."

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Facts about Rainbow Hill...

Rainbow Hill is a new ward that includes the Rainbow Hill area, plus parts of Brickfields and Tolladine.

The Rainbow Hill ward was formerly included in St Barnabas ward which is represented by three Labour councillors.

5,845 people live in the ward according to census data.

18 per cent of people in the ward walk to work, while nearly 60 per cent choose to go by car or van.

A quarter of the ward population aged between 16 and 74 have no qualifications.

Pride of our park

Paul Denham, Labour. "The most important thing is to improve Brickfields Park. There really is the opportunity to revitalise that and I want to see it made into something the community can be proud of in the future.

"We have the chance in the next few years to do that if there is the political will.

"It is right in the centre of the ward and it ought to be a real community facility for everyone in the ward."

Estates suffering

Adrian Gregson, Labour. " think Worcester's neighbourhood estates suffer at the expense of the rest of the city. The overall priority is to make the area's profile much higher.

"That would be primarily litter and street cleaning plus safety issues, like community wardens, lighting, and stopping speeding traffic.

Our support for improving the quality of leisure facilities in the city stems from this.