Regeneration projects are key to Bognor Regis

The town's regeneration projects such as the new Butlins' hotels and an enterprise centre on the university campus are being used as examples for the proposed local enterprise partnership.

This will stretch along the West Sussex coast from Selsey to Shoreham and will enhance the existing coastal partnership for that area.

Local government and communities secretary Eric Pickles is expected to look favourably on setting up the partnership.

Arun District Council leader Gillian Brown said: "I've spoken to Mr Pickles twice about this. I've told him what we intended to do and he was impressed by it. I am confident we are going down the right road."

The major objective of the new partnership '“ which will involve businesses on an equal footing with councillors '“ will be to create jobs and to enable firms to flourish.

"What we need are jobs to stop the 14,000 people who out-commute from the Arun district every day," said Mrs Brown.

"We want to have more jobs and better jobs locally.

"That's why we are trying to bring Oldlands Farm off the A29 Shripney Road into use and we are anxiously waiting for the decision on the former Lec site.

"We desperately need that to go ahead for Sainsbury's and the business start-up units which will come with that development."

The long-awaited Arundel bypass is another scheme waiting to be progressed.

The new partnerships are being created by the coalition government to replace regional development agencies. The South East England Development Agency is being abolished and its funding is being spread among the new partnerships.

There will be only four in south-east England. They will have access to 1bn in the next two years.

Arun's cabinet approved the partnership at its Monday meeting. The expression of interest will go to Mr Pickles's department by the September 6 deadline.