MALVERN Hills District Council has applied to the government for Beacon status for its work in promoting business growth.

If its application is successfull, it would be recognised as one of the best performers in the country, enabling others to learn from it.

Sharon Gray, the council's economic development officer, said the creation of Malvern Hills Science Park was one of its finest achievements.

"It stands out because it's really a national leader," she said. "It was one of the first science parks linked with the MoD and it has achieved a real success, more so than we expected at first.

"The development there has really linked this part of Worcestershire with the West Midlands region, via the proposed technology corridor. If the science park had not been here, the link would have been a lot weaker. It's really put us on a national basis and more, with the visits from Finland and other parts of Europe."

Another area of strength is MHDC's involvement in partnerships such as the Malverns Experience and the Economic Forum.

"These are genuine meetings of like-minded people, not just short-term alliances to secure a bit of grant funding," said Ms Gray.

"And it is not all high-tech stuff either. Our initiatives include the village shop scheme, which gives small grants to shopkeepers in rural areas."

MHDC should find out some time next month whether it been shortlisted for Beacon status. The final announcement will be made next March.

Meanwhile, the council is carrying out a survey of businesses in the area to help monitor the state of the local economy and detail priorities for future strategies.