PLANS to stage next year's UK Snooker Tournament in York have been hit by a double blow.

The Barbican Centre's prospective owners have confirmed that its refurbishment will be delayed by at least four months and may not be completed in time for next November.

And they say tournament organisers have also told them that while they would like to return to York, they must also consider the option of moving elsewhere, as they come under increasing financial pressures.

Further difficulties for the centre's proposed owners, Absolute Leisure (AL), have come with news that more than 50 people have lodged objections to proposals for a late-night drinks licence at the venue, because of concerns about noise and disturbance in a residential area.

City of York Council had originally been due to hand over the centre to AL this month, allowing a major refurbishment and construction of a large new lounge bar to start.

But a three-day hearing to consider the licence application was abandoned last month, and it was confirmed by magistrates yesterday that the hearing will not take place until next April.

AL confirmed afterwards that it cannot go ahead with the refurbishment until it knows it has got the licence.

The firm said that meant the centre could only be ready for the November tournament, and also the Festival Of Remembrance, if the project proceeded more quickly than the nine months originally set aside - but they warned that this would push up the costs.

AL said the tournament organisers had indicated they would have to examine other options than York to maximise revenue and cut costs, because of the loss of tobacco sponsorship.

A tournament spokesman confirmed this, while stressing that organisers would still like to return to York next year if possible.

He was unwilling to comment on claims that other cities are considering offering very favourable terms to lure the tournament away from York, because of the great economic benefits of staging it.

Updated: 10:51 Friday, December 10, 2004