A LEADING North-East business group has called on policy-makers to meet a test standard before changing policies that affect businesses this year.

The North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) has outlined an economic recovery test it wants civil servants and politicians to use this year.

The lobby group, which represents more than 4,000 businesses in the region, said that before any decisions were made affecting policy in the North-East an assessment must be made on whether or not they will enhance infrastructure and business performance or remove barriers to business.

The chamber said that if the planned changes failed to address any of those areas they should be abandoned.

The test is the cornerstone of NECC’s 2010 manifesto, Delivering the Recovery, released today.

NECC president Martyn Pellew said: “NECC has set out a blueprint for action that has, at its core, the key focus of how we stimulate and support the economic recovery in 2010.

“By setting an economic recovery test as the centrepiece of this manifesto, NECC has laid a gauntlet down at the door of regional and national policy-makers to justify any decisions made that will not have a positive impact on our acceleration out of recession.

“Councils, politicians and civil servants have worked closely with NECC in the past to bring about positive changes for the business community, and we anticipate they will focus closely on the commonsense approach laid out in the Delivering the Recovery manifesto, as this will bring job security and creation, as well as economic prosperity to the region.”

In the document, the NECC calls for reform to the planning system and improved strategic transport connections that will enhance access to national and international markets, including Scotland, London and major regional centres.

It also calls for a tax and regulatory system that protects and supports the development of regional aviation.

Other key issues include delivering measures North-East businesses need to be competitive including improved skills, better support, strategic export support to grow international trade, increased access to finance via the creation of regional investments funds, innovative approaches to cutting energy consumption and creating better links between businesses, universities and innovation connectors.

Finally, the manifesto commits the chamber to heighten awareness about the barriers that prevent businesses from focusing on recovery.

The chamber said it would campaign for greater certainty for firms on taxation and removal of the fuel duty accelerator, improved focus on the quality of legislation while reducing the amount of regulation, a national planning system alongside a regional planning culture that is focused on enabling business growth, and a greatly improved procurement system that stimulates business growth in the North-East.

A full copy of the manifesto is available at necc.co.uk/ manifesto