Refurb of Oasis leisure centre in Swindon backed by council

The Oasis leisure centre first opened in 1976

The long-awaited refurbishment of an iconic leisure centre has been backed by councillors.

Swindon Borough Council's cabinet voted to support the £20m proposal to reopen Oasis leisure centre in Swindon on Wednesday.

As part of the agreement, developer Seven Capital would be allowed to build homes on land nearby.

The developer would no longer have to build an indoor ski centre and the sports/music hall will be demolished.

The Oasis leisure centre, which first opened in 1976, was closed in October 2020 after operator GLL claimed it was unviable.

The plans will see the listed elements of the pool area and dome saved, but the sports and concert venue knocked down, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

As part of the agreement, the developers will be required to spend £20m on refurbishment before being allowed to build homes near the site.

Councillor Jim Robbins said the approved plans offer the best outcome for the Oasis leisure centre

"The council has been working on a deal which would see the Oasis brought back into use for some considerable time," said Labour councillor Jim Robbins.

"However, the huge costs of refurbishing the leisure centre make this an extremely complex deal," he added.

"We're still committed as an administration to making sure that those facilities, such as a big concert venue and a sports hall, still remain in the borough, we're just going to deliver them in different places to the Oasis," Mr Robbins continued.

The plans also state Seven Capital is no longer required to build the £270m indoor snow centre on the former Clare's factory site in North Star, just across the road from the Oasis site.

'Rushed through'

Campaigners from Save Oasis Swindon say some residents have concerns about the plans.

"On one hand, obviously the deal is good because it brings the Oasis and the pool back that everyone loves as soon as possible," said campaigner Neil Robinson.

"But there are a lot of people contacting us, residents who are concerned that this deal is being rushed through," he added.

"People still want the music and sports facilities to stay at the Oasis, because not only is it a great location in the centre of town for people to use, but the Oasis was famous for that, it makes no sense to move it elsewhere.

"But also, this keeps the Oasis alive for the future, so that we don't end up in 10 years time with the Oasis closing down again," Mr Robinson added.

Mr Robbins said the current deal was the best chance of seeing the Oasis centre reopen.

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