THE late campaign to save the Barbican Centre has surprised the council. Although its consultation exercise began last spring, protests against the plans only began in earnest a few weeks ago.

It is not difficult to understand why. The new-look Barbican has long been sold as "bigger and better" than the facility it would replace. Most people were reassured by that and, leading busy lives, did not look into the plans in any detail.

Only recently has the realisation dawned that tomorrow's Barbican will be fundamentally different from today's. It will no longer be a community facility paid for by the city and run by the council for residents. Instead, it will be built with private money and run for company profit.

In this brave new Barbican, the emphasis is not on the soft play area and cheap sports facilities for residents, but rather on a hotel, casino and conference suite for visitors.

Add to this the scale of the surrounding development - 240 flats built higher than the city walls - and it is no wonder people are concerned.

City of York Council says this is a golden opportunity to improve leisure provision for residents. The new owners will bring more top music and comedy acts to the city. Some of the cash generated by the sale will be invested in improving existing sporting facilities on other sites. All good points.

But real concern remains. Like the ultimately abandoned Coppergate Riverside development, the council is both landowner and planning authority. Would the council be so happy with the scale and style of this scheme had it not a £10.5 million vested interest in its success?

The protests are late, but not too late. Councillors should ask themselves: if we build in haste, might we yet repent at our leisure facilities?

Updated: 10:58 Tuesday, March 09, 2004