CAMPAIGNERS against the redevelopment of York's Barbican site today won a crucial High Court battle.

A judge backed a claim by Save Our Barbican (SOB) that it should have won more Legal Aid cash, when it unsuccessfully applied last summer for a judicial review of City of York Council's decision to grant planning permission.

SOB had complained that the Legal Services Commission's (LSC) Legal Aid decision had left it unable to be represented during the hearing.

Mr Justice Goldring today ordered the LSC to reconsider its decision.

Spokesman Ernie Dickinson said SOB now planned to lodge an out-of-time application to the Court of Appeal, appealing for last summer's decision to be quashed and also for the permission to be reversed.

If such an application were to succeed, it would appear to jeopardise the council's announcement last week of its latest proposals for the Barbican site, which include abandoning plans for a replacement swimming pool but also constructing a new pool in Acomb and trying to build a new pool in eastern York.

However, the council said today that as far as it was concerned, the matter had been heard and resolved.

Updated: 12:31 Monday, January 30, 2006