FEARS that the Barbican Centre in York will no longer be the biggest conference venue in the city by next April were expressed by worried tourism bureau officials.

Their concerns that the planned take-over of the Barbican by Newcastle-based Absolute Leisure would mean a depleted conference centre emerged shortly after the opening there today of Conference York, a showcase of more than 40 venues in and around the city for nearly 70 conference buyers from all over the UK.

Absolute Leisure intends to invest £2.5 million on revamping the Barbican's auditorium and plans will include using what were conference "break-out" rooms for restaurant and other leisure purposes.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of the York Tourism Bureau, said: "We are going to lose exhibition space here. We have been told that the building could still be used as a conference venue, but what we want to know is - can it be marketed that way?

"We fear that the biggest conference facility will lose facilities because the developers have other priorities."

Charlie Croft, York's head of education, lifelong leisure and learning, said the aim was "to enhance the Barbican Centre's facilities as a conference centre".

Ideally the work would be completed in time for Absolute Leisure to operate the Centre by April.

A spokesman for Absolute Leisure was unavailable for comment.

The Conference York showcase was opened by the Lord Mayor of York , Coun Charles Hall, who praised the rivals in the city's conference sector for getting together under one roof to show off what York had to offer.

Updated: 14:10 Friday, October 03, 2003