A multi-million pound Government transport initiative has brought new hope to businesses in Sussex.

The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) has identified areas in need of investment across Sussex, describing the South East as needing "significant improvements" to its road and rail infrastructure.

The move is part of Transport 2010, a national ten-year plan for public and private transport backed by £180 million of investment.

A number of road-based studies have been proposed to identify how best to progress in Sussex, including a look at the South Coast corridor.

Funding from the Transport 2010 initiative will be used to implement the outcomes of these investigations.

But Sussex Enterprise has raised concerns that there has been only one firm commitment to immediate action.

The Polegate bypass is scheduled to begin this summer after more than a year's gap since the decision to go ahead was made.

Ken Caldwell, chief executive of Sussex Enterprise, said: "The poor infrastructure in Sussex is costing businesses £250 million a year or over 10,000 jobs for local people.

"It is great to see DETR Secretary John Prescott has recognised the case we have been putting forward but we need him to move from words to action a lot faster than his predecessors."

Brian Shorrock, managing director of Chichester-based Flextronic Ltd, has lived and worked in the county for more than 20 years.

He said: "The rail network hasn't changed a bit since I first came here and the roads have become very congested over time.

"It's all very detrimental to our business. We often send taxis to collect overseas visitors from the airport because the rail service is an embarrassment.

"Deliveries are held up on the roads and recruiting staff from further afield is a problem as no-one wants to struggle through the rush-hour traffic.

"I hope these new proposals will actually make a difference before the situation gets worse."

Mark Froud, director of economic research for Sussex Enterprise, said: "We have been working to increase investment in Sussex and there is money in this announcement for local schemes that will benefit local residents and businesses.

"We need to make sure the money is put to use now as transport investment takes years to deliver."