THE South East of England is the goose that is laying the golden eggs for government--and it is time to be given the resources to achieve even more.

That's the view of the retiring chairman of the region's development agency, Alan Willett. He said: "National government must stop treating this region as a milch cow."

He said the Government had been caught out by the way the people of the South East of England have come together as a region.

"Our united voice has surprised central government who, I suspect, did not expect it."

He stands down as chairman of the South East of England Development Agency-- better known as SEEDA--on December 16.

Attending his last meeting of the regional assembly to which he was answerable, Mr Willett said that since SEEDA was formed four years ago the South East was now aware and proud of its vital role in the national economy.

"Urban renaissance in our major towns and cities such as Brighton, Portsmouth, Southampton, Reading and Oxford is becoming a fact," he said.

"Major expansion of Milton Keynes, Ashford and within the Thames Gateway lies before us as an opportunity to be grasped, not a threat.

"We are now a region which universally appreciates the over-riding necessity to grow our existing and new businesses without damaging our precious environment.

"We are now aware this can only be done by developing an economy increasingly based on the sale of the ultimate product of the 21st century--knowledge."

He said transport remained a problem.

Speaking after the chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority, Richard Bowker, had said some of the long-awaited train improvements in the South East would not come about because they were not going to make a profit, he said: "We sadly remain a region frustrated and fast running out of patience with those responsible for investing in our transport infrastructure.

"Nevertheless we are confident of our ability to hold our own and compete with the very best regions around the globe."