THE clock is ticking for Fylde community leaders as they work on a cash bid for the first phase of a £230 million scheme to transform the Blackpool to Fleetwood tramway into a modern Light Rail system.

The Government is making money available to double the number of Light Rail passengers as part of its 10-year Transport Plan.

But the deadline for the bid, which is being spearheaded by Blackpool and Lancashire County councils, is July 31. The successful bids are expected to be announced in December.

Blackpool Council's Chief Executive Graham Essex-Crosby said that "fruitful" talks had taken place with the Government's Office North West and the Department of Transport.

"The Government has announced that money is available and we have to respond to that if we want this scheme for the Fylde Coast.

"It is still early days and there are a lot of discussions still to go on with stakeholders and local residents, but there is reason to be optimistic that our bid can succeed," he said.

Talks are also underway with Wyre and Fylde councils . Stakeholders -- including major businesses and the media -- are being invited to a dedicated briefing on July 11.

Plans for upgrading and extending the existing tramway are in three phases:

Phase One: Renewing most of the track and improving overhead power supplies, providing new, low platform stops, giving trams priority at road junctions to speed up journey times and improve safety and providing new low-floor modern vehicles for core services.

Phase Two: Creating a new on-street link to Blackpool North railway station and developing a rapid link to St Annes and Lytham at a cost of £74 million.

Phase Three: Creating a new £84 million link between Blackpool and Fleetwood via Poulton and Thornton, serving the proposed housing developments at Thornton and Burn Naze.

But the famous traditional heritage tramcars would continue to run along the Prom as a tourist attraction.

The plans follow a pre-feasibility study by consultants Steer Davies Gleave. Blackpool's Deputy Council Leader Roy Fisher said: "This study has demonstrated that a real opportunity now exists to build on the courage of those who pioneered Britain's first electric tramway, taking the town into the future and revolutionising the quality of transport on the Fylde Coast."