A TEENAGE campaigner is using 21st century technology to put pressure on City of York Council to sort out the future of the troubled Barbican Centre.

Izzy Lennon, of Tadcaster Road, in York, has set up a group on the social networking website Facebook, called Save The Barbican, York!

Izzy, 17, is calling on internet-users across the city to join the group as a way of showing council bosses that hundreds of people want to see the Barbican brought back to life as soon as possible.

Two weeks after it was set up, nearly 400 members have joined the group – and Izzy is hoping the number will hit 1,000.

She said: “If I get 1,000 members, then I’m going to email the council and say to them, ‘look – there are 1,000 people in York who are desperate for the Barbican to reopen, what are you doing about it?’”

The much-delayed redevelopment of the Barbican turned into a fiasco earlier this month after the firm behind the revamp failed to stump up its deposit in time.

As exclusively revealed in The Press, City of York Council decided to end its dealings with Absolute Leisure Ltd, after the firm missed several deadlines, including a demand to pay more than £3 million into a secure account by January 5.

Keys to the building have now been returned to the council and a special project group has been set up tasked with the aim of finding a new long-term solution.

Izzy, who is studying media publishing at York College, said: “I remember going to the Barbican to see the Singing Kettles when I was little.

“It was a real treat to go there and when I drive past now and see it completely unused, I just think it’s such a shame. It looks so depressing.

“Quite a few people are saying it’s turned into a bit of an eyesore because there’s nothing going on there anymore. Leeds and Hull have both got big venues that attract comedians and big bands, and York needs somewhere like this too.

“I’m hoping that the council will realise there are a lot of people in York who want the Barbican to reopen as soon as possible.

“I’d love it if everyone invited their friends to join the group, because the more people, the bigger the impact.”