Swindon's Oasis campaigners and Council exchange frank views over leisure centre's future

The site has been closed indefinitely since November 2020

The Oasis was closed indefinitely in November 2020
Author: Aled Thomas, Local Democracy Reporting ServicePublished 27th Sep 2022

Swindon Borough Council leader David Renard has told campaigners that putting the closed Oasis centre on the list of protected buildings has added millions of pounds to the costs of getting it re-opened.

And that delisting it is the best way of ensuring its long-term survival.

After it was closed in late 2001, the centre’s lease-holders Severn capital came up with a new plan for the site, which would have seen the existing building knocked down and a new leisure centre and pool, without a dome, put up.

But earlier this year the pool and dome were asked to the protected list, managed by Swindon-based Historic England, by the Secretary of State for Digital Culture Media and sport, then Nadine Dorries. That listing makes knocking down the dome all but impossible, and Seven capital has withdrawn its application.

'You do know that it is virtually impossible to de-list buildings?'

Last week the Conservative group announced it would try and reverse the listing of the centre.

The online group, Save Oasis Swindon wrote to Coun Renard.

It said: “We are wondering why the Swindon Conservatives are now trying to delist the Oasis Leisure Centre from its well-earned grade II-listed status?

“Are the Tories trying this tactic because the Levelling Up bid for the Oasis has failed? We need some transparency. An insider source did tell us that it was unlikely it would be approved.

“You do know that it is virtually impossible to de-list buildings? The Oasis was only listed nine months ago.

“It still has an architectural and historic interest, so will not be removed from the register. Nothing has changed. There are many detailed reasons why the Oasis was listed. Down to the tiles, planting troughs and pool layout.

“They won’t remove it from the listing register, simply because it’s going to cost Seven Capital and the council more to restore. If the Oasis sits there derelict it’s not because of the listing, It’s actually from years of poor maintenance and the council offloading to Seven Capital.

“Undermining heritage experts’ professional judgement is not the way to go. The pressure is only going to increase now."

'All avenues have to be explored if the Oasis is to re-open'

Coun Renard said the policy of trying to have the centre de-listed was because that was thought to be the best chance of getting a leisure centre on the site open.

In the Conservative group’s announcement, it had said it didn’t want the oasis to be like a new Mechanics’ Institute – protected but mouldering away through lack of use.

Coun Renard’s reply to SOS said: “The Conservative administration is and has been determined to find a way to reopen the Oasis on a sustainable basis since the previous operator advised Seven Capital that they could no longer run it due to its unsustainability.

“Since then, prior to the listing, Seven Capital submitted a planning application which would have seen the Oasis re-opened with a credible operator running it. The consequence of the listing is that it has added many millions of pounds to the cost of bringing it back in to sustainable use. Even with a successful bid to the Levelling Up fund (and we do not know whether it will be supported or not), the viability is still challenging to achieve.

“Given the above, if de-listing would secure a future for the Oasis, this administration is willing to support the application. We appreciate that de-listing is not an easy process and may not ultimately be possible but all avenues have to be explored if the Oasis is to re-open.”

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