A NEW manifesto containing the views of business people in the two counties has been published by the Chamber of Commerce Herefordshire and Worcestershire in time for the local elections tomorrow.

The document brings together the opinions of members on policy matters gained th-rough surveys and discussions. It illustrates what the business community thinks is necessary to sustain a dynamic economy in the region.

Christopher Harvey, policy and lobbying manager for Worcestershire, said: "The manifesto examines nine key issues that hinder the prosperity of businesses and identifies what can be done locally, regionally and nationally, to remove these barriers. These are the areas of priority that the chamber will be lobbying for on behalf of its members."

The nine issues are: skills and education, creating an environment for growth, barriers to red tape, a stronger voice in Brussels, spiralling costs of production, the environment, crime and pensions.However, Mr Harvey said there are some areas specific to Worcestershire. "Transport is the life blood of the economy, but we need some major investment in transport infrastructure in Worcestershire if it is to remain competitive and attractive as a place to do business. This would include investment in work to ease congestion through better traffic management and some improvements to the current highway network such as Worcester's southern link.

"On the railways, building Worcester Parkway railway station with a park-and-ride link from the station to the city, and linking the station into the national rail network for London, Birmingham and the west coast mainline would be a distinct improvement. Investment is also needed on the Worcester-Kidderminster-Birmingham line."