THE snooker stars have gone, and with them the crowds, cameras and staff. Once again the Barbican is empty.

Sitting next to the city walls in brooding silence, its presence is a constant reminder of what York has lost. It was a true community resource, home to everything from badminton sessions to top flight concerts. And it is badly missed.

The plan, of course, is for the Barbican to rise again, as a bigger and better leisure facility. This vision has run into legal challenges and the future is far from certain. No one knows when work will commence on the redevelopment, let alone when its doors will reopen permanently.

Even the exact form of the new-look venue is unclear. Protesters fear it will be little more than a super-sized nightclub, a claim denied by the owners. But the old Barbican ethos, which saw tots tearing around the soft play area while pensioners swam a dozen steady lengths in the pool, may well have been lost forever.

A more pressing issue is this: what shall we do with the Barbican now?

It strikes independent observers as very odd that the venue is able to host an Ascot entertainment, the Festival of Remembrance, a carol concert and the snooker, but remains closed for the months in between.

So we are delighted that Absolute Leisure is making a belated bid to stage a series of concerts next year. What sort of concerts, and why they necessitate a 2am bar licence, are questions as yet unanswered. We await more details with interest.

Updated: 09:59 Tuesday, December 20, 2005