ATTENDANCES are on the up at York Barbican Centre - despite confusion surrounding its immediate future.

The number of crowd-pulling events held at the flagship complex has also shown a "welcome improvement" on last year.

The news comes only days before the last event is held in the auditorium, to allow for its handover by City of York Council to the private company Absolute Leisure Ltd for a major revamp.

And it comes only a few days after a surprise announcement by the council that parts of the Barbican will remain open until the end of October, because Absolute Leisure Ltd will not be ready to start the refurbishment work until November.

Fitness facilities, the crche and soft play activities will continue, but the pools are set to close as planned early next month.

Campaigners say the whole complex should stay open until plans to redevelop the centre have won full permission.

Some of the workers who were handed redundancy notices earlier this year on the basis that the complex would shut early in June are now likely to be given revised redundancy notices.

The council executive member for leisure, Coun Keith Orrell, played down concerns that staff would be confused in the wake of the changes, and said it would give them more chance to be redeployed.

He said: "Success has been building up for a number of years.

"The events programme will continue once the Barbican is refurbished, and we are looking for that to give more benefits to people in the city.

"The closure has been well advertised and we have known for some time the refurbishment was necessary. The auditorium will get worse if changes are not made."

He denied the Barbican's recent success had been down to a "use it or lose it" attitude from residents, saying it was because top music and sporting attractions had been pulling punters in.

Leisure chiefs say the improved attendances have been a tribute to hard-working staff.

The report outlining this year's leisure performance will be discussed next Monday.

Updated: 10:46 Monday, May 10, 2004