A Liberal Democrat election candidate says more needs to be done to create jobs within Lichfield and Burntwood.
Paul Ray will be aiming to seek re-election in the Chadsmead ward on Lichfield District Council.
He told Lichfield Live that the local authority needed to do more to prevent businesses from going elsewhere.
“Lichfield is a great city to live in,” he said. “It should also be a great city to work in.
“Unfortunately, so many Lichfield and Burntwood residents must commute out of the area each day to go to work.
“With its highly skilled workforce, strong road and rail connections to the rest of the country and available land for development, the Lichfield area can provide an excellent location for businesses looking for a site in the Midlands.”
Mr Ray said he had already proposed an event to promote the district to the business community.
“Most of the property specialists in this region who find sites for businesses are based in Birmingham,” he said. “So an event is to take place in Birmingham promoting the benefits of doing business from a base in the Lichfield area to these property specialists so that they are fully aware of exactly what we have on offer here.
“We would propose more initiatives like this and would want to see the council working more proactively with developers and prospective occupiers.”
Full list of Chadsmead ward candidates:
Muriel Boyle (Cons)
Kevin Casserley (UKIP)
Joanne Grange (Ind)
Sara Pritchard (Cons)
Paul Ray (Lib Dem)
Philip Sutcliffe (Lab)
Mark Taylor (Lab)
Miles Trent (Lib Dem)