SQUATTERS say they can occupy a former York music venue for another three weeks following an adjourned hearing at York County Court - and they can now press ahead with plans to stage music gigs there.

Patrick Thelwell, one of the squatters at the ex-Fibbers building in Toft Green, said they had been given the 'stay of execution' by a judge today because of legal errors made when interim orders of possession were served earlier this month.

For example, an N133 form should have been provided, giving them opportunity to oppose the making of the orders.

He said the case had been listed again for September 2 and, until then, he and other squatters would continue to clean up inside the building, carry on creating a 'radical library' and prepare to stage music gigs.

They also hoped to have a continued dialogue with the owners and developers of the building, which has lain empty since Fibbers closed in January last year.

He said there were also plans to stage a festival on Knavesmire from noon next Tuesday. The Baked Potato Festival would feature live music, a fun run and baked potatoes.

He claimed the owners of the Fibbers building had suggested that the squatters might have been allowed to stay there for six months, were it not for the building's insurance being invalidated by their occupation.

A spokesman for the owners of the building said that, 'due to a technicality,' the court hearing had been relisted for September 2.

"We maintain our concerns over the habitation of a building with serious health and safety risks, that does not have the appropriate insurance for this use," he added.

The squatters moved into the building after being evicted from vacant land next to York Barbican in July, where they attempted to create a community centre.

They had the same aims for a community centre, a pay-as-you-feel cafe, a radical library and a live music, arts and poetry venue at Fibbers, and a sign in the window of the new squat said 'Welcome to the Barbican Community Centre @Fibbers.'

Developers North Star claimed the building was 'dangerously unsafe to be inhabited' - and said a revised vision for the site was being drawn up which included music, cultural and work space that would be 'fantastic for the city’s cultural sector.'

But the squatters said they had completed a risk assessment and informed people of the risks and mitigated them to the best of their ability, and said they were continuing to clean and tidy the property and make it safe for visitors.

They also said their vision was for a community centre that was run not-for-profit in order to benefit the people of York, and this differed from the interest of North Star, a commercial company which wished to develop for profit.