Empty Barbican costs taxpayers £85,000

11:40am Thursday 3rd July 2008

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YORK’S Barbican Centre has now been lying empty and mostly unused for more than three years, but it has still cost local taxpayers £85,000 in business rates over the past year, it emerged today.

City of York Council said that under the terms of a short-term lease for the former sports and leisure centre, granted in October 2005, new operators Absolute Leisure had been responsible for operating and running costs.

However, the local authority had continued to be responsible for the payment of business rates for the auditorium, with the sum coming to £85,000 in 2007/08.

Ernie Dickinson, leader of the Save Our Barbican (SOB) campaign group, said on being told of the payments today: “I’m almost speechless. We have another case of yet more taxpayers’ money being spent in return for absolutely nothing.

“The money should have been spent on continuing to provide vital sports and leisure facilities at the Barbican.”

A City of York Council spokeswoman, said: “Owners of commercial properties have to pay business rates whether or not their property is empty.”

The Press reported last month how the long-awaited, multi-million pound revamp of the auditorium and the construction of new bars and restaurants at the front was finally set to go ahead this month.

But it also emerged that two major events which are normally staged at the centre each autumn, the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance and the Community Carol Concert, could not take place there this year and will have to relocate elsewhere.

Absolute Leisure said it would be “logistically impossible” to stage them while work was under way.

However, the company’s managing director, Tony Knox, said the start of work meant it could now look forward to a “bright future as a superb venue, which will be a real asset to the city”.

He said that, subject to council approval, the work would start this month and was scheduled to be completed by March 1.