EACH Barbican bulletin brings fresh concerns about the viability of its redevelopment.

The latest blow was delivered in the licensing court. Absolute Leisure's bungled application to run a late night bar at the centre was thrown out by magistrates.

This is a potentially devastating setback. It could be five months before Absolute Leisure has another chance to apply, a delay which could endanger next year's Festival of Remembrance and the return of the UK Snooker Championships.

These events can be added to a long list of problems besetting the Barbican remake. Its closure was botched and this year's Festival of Remembrance was put in real doubt.

Meanwhile, Barbican users accuse the council of failing to fulfil a pledge that all the centre's sporting activities would be relocated to alternative York venues.

The licensing wrangle goes straight to the heart of the Barbican controversy. What we are losing is a community and family leisure facility: what we stand to gain is a profit-driven housing development, conference hall and nightclub, with a pool and gym tacked on.

For York residents, the key benefit of the deal was the cash it would release to improve the city's swimming pools. But each new hitch could eat into that windfall.

Now we are faced with a nightmare scenario: York losing the snooker, having to relocate the Festival of Remembrance and without enough money to refurbish the other pools.

Updated: 11:14 Thursday, November 18, 2004