DELAYS over York's Barbican Centre redevelopment scheme are blowing a massive hole in council finances, Labour claimed today.

The party said half a million pounds had been wasted by the authority since the centre closed to the public last December.

Resources spokeswoman Janet Looker said it was costing City of York Council £15,000 a month to maintain the complex.

She said the delay in receiving capital receipts from the planned sale of the site was also costing the council about £40,000 a month in lost interest.

Plans to redevelop the site with flats and a hotel, and revamp the auditorium, have been delayed by legal challenges in the courts by local residents and the Save Our Barbican campaign group.

They have been challenging the council's decision to grant planning permission for the development, and a late licence for the auditorium.

Coun Looker claimed the delays had been caused by the ruling Liberal Democrat group, which she said had attempted to force an "unacceptable scheme" on the local community and had antagonised residents with a high-handed style of government.

"It is hardly surprising that local residents are opposing the scheme, and it was foolhardly of (council leader) Coun Galloway to assume such a scheme would go through without a hitch," she said.

"Better and more timely consultation, might well have sorted this out earlier."

But Coun Galloway hit back at the claims, claiming the delays were being caused by "a small number of objectors who are totally nihilistic in their approach."

He said their opposition was backed by a commercial interest - a reference to rival nightclub operator Luminar Leisure, which has offered to support legal challenges against a Barbican late licence.

It was likely that insufficient money would be available to build a replacement swimming pool on the site due to the delays, he added.

Ernie Dickinson, of SOB, said: "It's a bit rich to accuse residents of being backed by a commercial interest, as it is the council's and the developers' commercial interests being put above those of local residents that led to the whole sorry mess."

Updated: 10:19 Thursday, October 27, 2005