THE sale and planned redevelopment of The Barbican has been little short of a disaster. First the swimming pool closed. Then the rest of the Barbican sports hall. York even lost the hugely prestigious UK Snooker Championships.

Organisers, quite understandably, moved away when Absolute Leisure Ltd was unable to give a firm commitment about the timescale for the redevelopment.

Now, after five years of hopes and promises, it appears the entire redevelopment may now be in jeopardy.

Absolute Leisure failed to meet a crucial deadline to make a £3 million payment. Top-level legal officials at the city council are reassessing their options.

But The Press understands council officials want to walk away from the whole deal.

This is not York’s first development disaster. There was the long-drawn-out Coppergate Riverside farce, and the unexpected refusal of the Terry’s plan.

This fiasco probably tops the lot, however.

Veteran Barbican campaigner Ernie Dickinson claimed the council had made a “pig’s ear” of the development from the outset, and called on the ruling executive to resign.

Labour opposition leader Coun David Scott, meanwhile, described the development as “disastrous for residents”.

Council leader Andrew Waller insisted today he was “always an optimist”, but declined to answer questions on what would happen if the deal with Absolute Leisure was scrapped.

Well, the buck stops with him and his ruling group.

The people of York have been without a badly-needed central sports facility for far too long. Our message to Coun Waller and his colleagues is simple. One way or another, get this mess sorted.