THE campaign to "save" York's Barbican Centre gathered pace when almost 100 people turned up to a public meeting and agreed to make their views known on a march through York.

The meeting, organised last night in the upper foyer by the Save Our Barbican campaign group, heard that a petition had already been launched and signed by scores of people.

Residents demanded to know the results of a public consultation carried out some time ago by City of York Council into the future of the Barbican.

One man suggested that the consultation had indicated overwhelming support from residents for it to remain as a sports and leisure centre, and that the results were now being suppressed.

But Coun Keith Orrell, executive member for leisure and heritage, said today that the results of two consultations, one under the former Labour administration, and the other conducted after the Liberal Democrats took charge, were publicly available to anyone who wanted to see them.

Coun Orrell has defended the council's plans to redevelop the site and privatise the auditorium, saying they would provide modern sports facilities citywide, but campaigners remained deeply unhappy last night.

One man claimed the authority had probably already made up its mind to go ahead with the scheme, and that protesters' best chance was to persuade Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to call a public inquiry.

He said it was vital in that case for campaigners to write to York MP Hugh Bayley to inform him of their views, and press for his support.

Campaign group chairman John Issitt said some people believed it was inevitable the proposals would go ahead, but others, who had fought battles against proposals such as Coppergate Riverside, had told him it was possible to fight and to win.

"I have had a lot of phone calls and emails from people who cannot be here tonight," he said. "There's lots of support for this from a lot of people that live in the area or use the Barbican and want to keep it."

Campaigners provisionally agreed to stage a march on the morning of Saturday, March 20, subject to the necessary consent from the authorities. A further event to publicise the campaign may also be held in Parliament Street the following Saturday.

Updated: 10:41 Wednesday, February 25, 2004