Local Government Minister Chris Leslie will be asked to put pressure on the Government to speed up a decision on a powerful company which would spearhead the rebirth of Bradford city centre.

Members of Bradford Vision - made up of the district's leading organisations - fear the Government shake-up, which has resulted in a new Office of the Deputy Prime Minister being set up, could delay the ground-breaking project.

Professor Colin Mellors, chairman of Bradford Breakthrough, said at the Vision board meeting last night: "I have real concern about keeping the momentum going. There is no reason why we should not trail-blaze the Urban Regeneration Company."

Project manager John Ansbro, the consultant brought in by Government regeneration agency Yorkshire Forward to mastermind the Bradford company, told the board that to take no action was not an option for the under-performing city centre.

Mr Ansbro, chief executive of Leeds Financial Service Initiative which promotes Leeds as a major player in British financial services, said Bradford city centre under-performed in job creation, shopping and leisure.

"It has a rich architectural heritage but fails to perform economically and commercially at a level of other comparable cities," he said.

Mr Ansbro, a former director of Leeds Development Agency, told the board the city's image was poor and too few people lived in it.

He said the company could focus on the specific role of regenerating the city and could support other partnerships in reaching their targets. He added: "It would promote key projects based on a new visionary masterplan. It would co-ordinate activity and investment to unlock key opportunities for private sector investment."

He told the board Yorkshire Forward had submitted a case to the Government in March but it was now likely to be September before the result was known.

But he admitted it was possible the Government shake-up could delay some projects.

He said the main focus would be on an area bounded by City Hall, Forster Square and the Interchange, but the precise area was unimportant because the company would not have planning powers.

Board members would be picked in September for the private sector-driven company and a master plan would be