YORK'S lengthy Barbican saga has taken two new twists.

Councillors are to consider a fresh licence application for the leisure complex, after receiving 24 objections from local residents.

And the Government has decided not to intervene over a City of York Council

planning decision concerning the redevelopment of the whole Barbican site.

The Barbican's new

operators, Absolute Leisure, applied late last year to vary the auditorium's premises licence, wanting permission to serve alcohol until 2am and provide entertainment until 2.30am, seven days a week.

The company said then it wanted the licence so it could stage concerts in the existing building until it is ready to start refurbishment.

But the Save Our Barbican (SOB) campaign group, which opposes a late licence, queried why one was needed to stage concerts which normally

finished before midnight.

Now a council licensing sub-committee is set to consider the application at a hearing at the Guildhall on January 30.

The council last year granted a late licence for the Barbican after it has been refurbished. An appeal against that

decision is due to be heard by city magistrates next month.

Meanwhile, SOB hit out today after hearing the Government had refused to call in a decision by the council's planning committee last autumn.

The council agreed to vary some of the conditions imposed when permission was granted in 2004 for the site to be redeveloped. The variation allowed for the demolition of the pool and some other buildings.

SOB spokesman Ernie Dickinson, who asked the Government to call it in, claimed large-scale demolition could go ahead without a contract being let for the reconstruction work, leaving an ugly derelict site in a sensitive area.

But the Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber said the Secretary of State concluded his intervention would not be justified.

Mr Dickinson said he wanted to know whether the prospective site developers, Barbican Venture Ltd, would now go ahead with demolition, saying: "The council

taxpayers, especially near neighbours of the Barbican, have a right to know what is going on."

Barbican Venture declined to comment.

Updated: 10:18 Thursday, January 19, 2006