Oasis Leisure Centre: Developer insists 'we are listening'
Today is the last day you can have your say on the controversial plans
Last updated 27th Nov 2024
There's just hours to go until the consultation on the controversial plans to redevelop the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon closes for submissions.
Locals have only had seven days to get their views in - despite getting to this point has taken years of waiting.
It was back in the pandemic when the site closed for good, with it being confirmed back in 2021 that it wouldn't open again when restrictions finally lifted.
Since then, a huge campaign has been launched to get it back open - and when SevenCapital got on board, they initially weren't going to save the iconic dome.
Earlier this year, the initial plans had been leaked - and were described by the Save Oasis Swindon campaign group as 'a whole big mess'.
They had been pushing to have the famous bowl-shaped structure and pool listed and put pressure on the council and Seven Capital to open the centre - which the developers tell us they plan on doing.
Read more: Leaked plans for the Oasis 'a whole big mess'
'Exciting'
Damien Siviter, MD of the developers, SevenCapital, has been speaking with Greatest Hits Radio about the plans - and reacting to the huge online response, following the publication of the plans.
The mixed-use development is being described as the 'revival' of the Oasis site - with a number of flats planned to be built around it, to help make sure it remains viable to keep open.
He told us: "We know the dome was never designed to last more than 30 to 50 years, and it's really beyond repair. We have gone through many different designs for it, and we believe we've come up with something that keeps the form, keeps the look, and is exciting.
"The design is a compromise, of course, and it's difficult to please everybody all the time - but the idea is to create a sound scheme that secures the future of the Oasis Leisure Centre.
"We can all have ideas, of course, but if they don't work practically - then we won't get very far - so we've been working really hard with a number of key stakeholders to make sure that we get this right.
"Under the original plans, we wanted to remove the dome, that had a flat roof, and had solar panels - but we are now in a position where it's a completely different scheme, and so it wouldn't be fair to say that we haven't listened - because we have."
'We want to get this right'
With 2026 set to be the site's 50th anniversary, we're told they're aiming to get the site open by this milestone year.
Damien said: "It focuses people's minds.
"Anything that's exciting about any project, you want to promote - and age milestones are there to be celebrated.
"At the end of the day, though, we won't rush it, as we want to get this right for the Borough."
The plans have been controversial, however.
Neil Robinson, from the Save Oasis Swindon campaign, told us: "Residents will be able to meet SevenCapital project managers, and have their say. It's essential that we fight for this - because we could lose our facilities if we're not faithful.
"It's going to be a much smaller version - and for our campaign, it's now or never before the planning application is finally submitted, we believe, in the early part of 2025.
"As a campaign, we're quite sceptical about the consultation - it just seems to us that SevenCapital are just going through the motions."
We are due to see a final submission to Swindon Borough Council about the plans in the New Year.
These plans would still be subject to change once the initial document is sent to the local authority, which SevenCapital tell us will be transparent in sharing with residents.
Read more: Public exhibition to showcase plans for Oasis Leisure Centre
You can make comments on the plans and find out more over on the developer's website.