COUNCIL chiefs in hard-hit Blaenau Gwent have welcomed the promise of a job-boosting Budget for areas like theirs.

Yesterday, the Argus revealed that Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown had made the pledge to help areas struggling to attract new businesses.

Peter Slater, environment and development director for Blaenau Gwent council, told the Argus that any incentives for new businesses were to be welcomed.

"Historically, business formation rates are low in areas of traditional industry that have depended on large employers and entrepreneurial activity has always been quite low in that respect," he said.

Figures released yesterday revealed that Blaenau Gwent has one of the lowest rates in the country for attracting businesses.

The county borough, still struggling to recover from the closure of Ebbw Vale tinplate works earlier this year, was one of four South Wales areas shown to be having a poor record of attracting new firms along with Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taff and Merthyr Tydfil.

The figures showed Wales did not even feature in the 20 areas with the highest start-up levels for businesses outside London.

Blaenau Gwent is third from the bottom of the list of areas with the lowest start-up levels for business, with 70 business start-ups recorded for 2001.

The chancellor said: "Enterprise will be a central theme of our pre-Budget report, with special incentives to enterprise in the poorest areas."

Mr Slater said several initiatives were already being put into place by the council, such as support officers funded by Objective One, but any extra help would be very welcome.

Council leader John Hopkins added he was pleased the chancellor had recognised areas such as Blaenau Gwent needed additional funding to address the problems.

He added: "When we get the dualling of the Heads of the Valleys and the rail link, we will be more accessible and more attractive to industrialists.

"Blaenau Gwent is a pleasant place to live with people who really care about the community."