Councillors are pressing ahead with the closure of the York Story museum and the introduction of admission charges for the City Art Gallery, despite fierce protests.

And campaigners fear the decision may have already been taken to close the city's Barbican swimming pool after councillors removed a proposed refurbishment of the pool from the council's capital programme.

But entertainments and activities for young people are set to receive a £65,000 boost, including £15,000 for the Summer Daze programme of summertime activities for five to 16-year-olds.

The proposed closure of the York Story - the museum which charts the development of York's history through the ages where visitor figures have halved over the past decade - will make an estimated saving of £43,000. The move was approved by the leisure services committee, despite calls from the Liberal Democrats to relaunch the attraction and an impassioned plea from Bishop Stephen, of St Anne's Monastic Church, a former curator of the costume museum at Castle Howard.

"The York Story is a vital educational resource and an essential part of our tourist industry," he said. "To lose the York Story is to deny our heritage."

Attendance figures at York Story, situated just around the corner from the Jorvik Viking Centre, have slumped from 76,000 ten years ago, to 36,000 a year today.

Liberal Democrat councillor Mick Bradley said: "It is a super site and it is only because of a lack if investment it has gone downhill." He put forward an amendment to halt the proposed closure, with the money to save it coming from the education department, adding that with some "aggressive marketing" it could be a vibrant and thriving museum.

"We should be ashamed to have let York Story get in this condition," he added.

Coun Scrase retorted that the amendment was a "cop-out", and conceded that because of budget restrictions - the council has to make up a £4.7 million shortfall - there is not the money to keep it open.

"We cannot support an amendment that would mean colleagues on other committees would have to find more money," he said.

Pool decision 'a formality'

Charges at art gallery approved

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