Plans which could bring supertrams rolling into Bradford will fail if the Government does not give its approval before Easter.

That's the message a delegation from the area will give to transport minister Tony McNulty early next month.

Keiron Preston, director general of Metro - the operating arm of the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority - said powers granted by Parliament to buy land for the Leeds supertram run out early next year.

"Unless the Department for Transport gives Leeds approval for supertram in the next few weeks and we can start the process of purchasing these packages of land, time will run out," said Mr Preston.

A PTA delegation will tell Mr McNulty of the threat to the scheme at a face-to-face meeting on March 7.

They will also say they believe there is a North-South divide in transport spending after the approval of the £11 billion London Crossrail Scheme this week and a £1.2b ticket office for Kings Cross Underground Station.

The PTA received a body blow last year when the Government ordered new estimates of costs for the long-awaited supertram. Now officers have scrutinised the scheme and managed to cut £250 million.

It brings the figure down towards the £355 million originally pledged towards the scheme by the Government in 2001.

The delegation will tell Mr McNulty the new package meets the new national Audit Commission recommendations on how light rail schemes should be financed.

The modern, low-floor trams carrying up to 200 passengers would carry about 19 million people a year and would have large park and ride sites on each route.

There are proposals to eventually extend the system to Bradford via Pudsey and transport chiefs believe the link between the two cities would have major benefits.

A PTA spokesman said: "It is believed the benefits to Bradford would be similar to those experienced by Salford through the extension of the Manchester tram scheme."

Achievements there include the transformation of the former docks into the award-winning Salford Quays. The scheme is said to have been the catalyst for regeneration across the city.

PTA chairman Councillor Stanley King, who will be on the delegation meeting Mr McNulty, said: "I believe we have a very good case and want the scheme to get off the ground as soon as possible.

"A study has been done of the route to Bradford through Pudsey and there would be benefits all round."

Costs have been cut after new technical solutions were found to engineering problems and the construction of part of the network was postponed.