THE new owners of York's Barbican Centre are seeking permission to go ahead with a refurbishment before the rest of the site is redeveloped.

Absolute Leisure say they want to speed up their plans to revamp the auditorium and build new bars and restaurants.

But a question mark still hangs over whether the scheme can go ahead this year, as the company has indicated previously that it is planning a summer programme of activities, and that events such as the UK Snooker tournament and Festival of Remembrance are provisionally booked for the autumn.

City of York Council granted planning permission in 2004 for the redevelopment of the whole Barbican site, including the auditorium and bars but also for 240 apartments and a hotel on the nearby car park and bowling green.

A High Court judge last year turned down a bid by the Save Our Barbican (SOB) campaign to take that decision to judicial review.

Developers Barbican Venture Ltd, who are behind the apartments and hotel scheme, revealed earlier this year that they might now pursue a different project involving less apartments, but a greater number of hotel bedrooms, a new access road off Barbican Road and a care home.

The council subsequently indicated that a fresh planning application would be needed if the company wanted to go ahead with such a different scheme. The council's decision on that would also have to be referred to the Government, which could decide to call a public inquiry, causing further delays.

Now Absolute Leisure have lodged a fresh application with the council for a variation of the original planning permission, to enable the centre to be refurbished, altered and extended separately to the overall development of the rest of the site.

The council said today that any representations should be made by April 6, and it hoped to reach a decision by May 8.

A spokeswoman said the application would be considered by an area sub-committee and would not need to be referred to the Government office.

A spokeswoman for Absolute Leisure was unable to say when it hoped to start work on the refurbishment and extension, and nor was she able to say as yet what summer activities were planned or how this would impact on such work.

A spokesman for SOB, Ernie Dickinson, said the Barbican situation was as "clear as mud." He did not believe work could take place at the same time as summer activities. "It's about time we were told."

Updated: 11:54 Friday, March 24, 2006