THE developer behind the controversial Barbican Centre scheme has claimed it will bring about the biggest improvement to York's landscape for many years.

And he has accused opposition ringleaders of running a mischief-making campaign, and attacked the "biased opinions of the anti-developer lobby which seems to spring up whenever there is a new proposal to improve York".

Andrew Cossins, head of Barbican Venture (York) Ltd, was speaking publicly for the first time since City of York Council planners approved proposals to revamp the auditorium, relocate sporting facilities elsewhere, and build a new 135-bedroom hotel, 240 apartments and a new community swimming pool.

He said "common-sense and facts" had won through the planning process. "But our hard work is just beginning to ensure we make the New Barbican the biggest improvement to York's landscape for many years. That is our promise."

He said developers could not have done more to incorporate the wishes of those who had approached them with a reasonable suggestion over two years. "These are facts that have been glossed over and ignored by the ringleaders of the mischief-making campaign," he said.

"There are always some people resistant to any kind of change, and people afraid of altering their habits, but after studying the issues and needs of York and its residents as a whole, we can say that there was no better solution to the problems that this ageing facility is plagued with."

There would be a better auditorium and a first-rate hotel York could be proud of. He said he had sympathy with protesters who had not grasped the basic facts, but they would see improvements.

"As a York businessman born and bred here, I care deeply about the future of my home city and I am delighted to be involved in a development based around the sympathetic use of the space."

He said the developers now had several weeks of intense logistical planning ahead, working hard to ensure inevitable short-term disruption was minimised

Ernie Dickinson, a leader of the Save Our Barbican campaign, said: "Over the last few weeks, we have spoken to thousands of people and have not found anybody that is in favour of the scheme, because there is too much loss of facilities and too much overdevelopment."

Updated: 08:29 Wednesday, April 28, 2004