YORK leisure chiefs have extended the period of public consultation over the future of the city's Barbican Centre and swimming pools to the middle of next month.

But the move, said to be aimed at allowing local people more time to consider their options, came under fire from opposition Liberal Democrat councillors today, who claimed the consultation had become "an expensive farce".

City of York Council announced that anyone who has not yet returned their consultation questionnaire now has until Monday, April 14.

It said the consultation process had been extended to allow residents more time to consider their responses, and to attend specially-organised open days, before sending them back.

Coun Alan Jones, the council's executive member for leisure and heritage, said: "We felt that due to the strength of feeling on this issue York's citizens deserved a bit longer to ensure they can come to one of the open days and then come to their conclusions in this important consultation.

"We want to ensure that any project that takes place in the city represents the interests of the community as a whole."

But Liberal Democrat group leader Coun Steve Galloway claimed that not all the options were being put to residents and, if they gained a majority at May's local elections, they would seek to re-negotiate the options with the bidders and provide residents with "real choices".

He said: "The major gap in the process is the absence of a choice for residents who might prefer to spend less on a Barbican county standard swimming pool - perhaps by keeping a configuration similar to what exists at present - thereby allowing more to be spent on refurbishing the Yearsley Pool, modernising Edmund Wilson, and improving sports facilities elsewhere."

The open days will take place at the Barbican Centre next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (March 18, 19 and 20), and on Tuesday, March 25, and at Edmund Wilson Swimming Pool on Wednesday, March 26.

As part of the consultation process, every household in the city is receiving a leaflet and questionnaire in the council's newspaper About York. Anyone who has not received the leaflet and questionnaire with About York by Friday, March 28, should phone Vicky Japes on 01904 553382.

The key proposals for redeveloping the Barbican site are: an eight-lane, 25-metre county standard pool; a health suite and activity studio; a £2.5 million revamp of the Barbican auditorium; 158 apartments for sale, 25 per cent of them "affordable homes"; the purchase and improvement of Kent street car park by the developers; two hotels, including one four star development; £3 million in capital receipts for the council to spend on other facilities, enough to fully refurbish Edmund Wilson.

The open day at Edmund Wilson pool will focus on the choice of refurbishing or rebuilding the pool.

Updated: 10:13 Friday, March 14, 2003