Public exhibition to showcase plans for Oasis Leisure Centre
The exhibition's being held at New College between 1pm and 7pm
Last updated 26th Nov 2024
If you want to check out the plans for the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon - there's a special event happening this afternoon over at the Institute of Technology for you to do just that.
The controversial plans have been criticised by campaigners, who say they won't return the Oasis to its former glory - and despite waiting months to hear about the plans, locals only have a week to have their say.
The developer behind the plans, SevenCapital, say they are keen to receive people’s feedback by tomorrow (27 Nov) before a planning application is submitted to the Council.
We're told all responses will be reviewed by SevenCapital’s project team - who say the plans will preserve the building's dome and create new facilities.
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."
SevenCapital has worked closely with Historic England on the plans.
Damien Siviter, Group Managing Director at SevenCapital, said: “We know the Oasis centre is a very special place for families across Swindon and further afield. Our team has worked extremely hard to find a way to restore and re-open it in a way which enhances and maintains both the heritage and cultural significance of the building.
“Significant investment is needed to fund this, so we’re pleased to be able to unlock this through a wider regeneration opportunity with the refurbishment of the Oasis taking place as the first phase of delivery.
“Our ambitious proposals place a refurbished and revitalised Oasis at the heart of a new neighbourhood. As part of a major investment in Swindon, we can not only re-open the Oasis but deliver the new homes the town needs and support hundreds of new jobs.”
But the plans have been criticised by the Save Oasis Swindon campaign. Neil Robinson, from the group said: "This is a massively reduced Oasis and it's not acceptable. We're going to lose the sports hall, which was Wiltshire's indoor sports hall, and we'll be left with a rebuilt entrance area with a small gym, entrance area and a golf simulator. "
"All the emphasis is on the residential side of it. There are no interior images of the pool itself or the cafe or golf simulator or bowling alley - it's all just about their apartments, that's all they care about."
Read more: Developer announces plans for Swindon's Oasis leisure centre
You can make comments on the plans over on the developer's website.