Oasis Sports Hall petition to be debated by Swindon leaders
Campaigners are calling for a sports hall to be included in plans for reopening the facility
Calls for a sports hall to be included in plans for Swindon's Oasis Leisure Centre will be discussed by Swindon Borough Council this evening after they accepted a campaign groups petition.
The petition, submitted by Save Oasis Swindon (SOS),was backed by 1,700 people from Swindon and beyond.
The group say current plans that don't include a sports hall will compromise the long-term viability of the centre when it re-opens.
Neil Robinson, from SOS, told us the acceptance of the petition is 'fantastic news'.
He said people of Swindon and Wiltshire shouldn't lose out as a result of houses being built.
"We're rapidly growing as a town, you know, we're bursting at the seams basically with all these housing developments and we're gonna get a reduced Oasis. That's not acceptable," Neil told us.
He added: "What we're concerned about is they'll reopen the swimming pool in a couple of years time and it will probably stay open for a couple of years and then it will close. We don't want to be in this situation again."
Neil told us that the sports hall would serve as more than just a place for people to exercise, serving a second purpose as a venue for concerts.
And while the petition being debated by councillors, Neil said the local community need to keep pushing the Borough Council on the topic.
"The new Oasis plans are due to the planning application is due to be submitted anytime now in the next couple of months.
So it's very important that the people of Swindon keep the pressure on the Council and (developers) Severn Capital to get a sports hall included before it's too late," Neil said.
He added that it's even more crucial that the new Oasis included a sports hall given the newly-opened Moredon Sporting hub doesn't have an indoor facility.
The petition will be debated by councillors from 7pm tonight at a Full Council meeting.