Oasis leisure centre future to be decided at council meeting
The plans are the latest incarnation of attempts to redevelop Swindon's North Star site, with the previous plans for an indoor ski centre having been scrapped.They feature a fully renovated dome and lagoon, a raft of new sport facilities including a gym, indoor golf, a bowling alley, and new all-weather multi-sport pitches.But to the anger of campaigners, the sports hall would be demolished and the wider site surrounded by apartment blocks.The land once earmarked for the ski centre will now become large business units including a vast data centre, but how did we get here?
History of the Oasis
In its heyday, the Oasis became the envy of the region for leisure centres.Its unique lagoon pool, set out like a tropical cove with real waves and 'domebuster' flumes, was one of the first examples of a public pool designed for pleasure rather than simply fitness.That cultural significance is why its dome-covered lagoon was declared a Grade II listed building by Historic England in 2021.The large adjoining sports hall also played host to countless concerts over the decades.It had been owned and run by Swindon Borough Council, but that all changed in 2012.Faced with putting leisure centres at risk of public spending cuts, the council handed over the running of its leisure facilities including the Oasis to operator GLL.But the council also recognised that without significant upgrade work, the Oasis was nearing the end of its life - so to secure new investment and with the hope of triggering wider regeneration, it signed up to the first of several attempts at a development deal.
Morai Capital Investments took control of the Oasis with a 99-year lease, promising not just to improve the Oasis but create a vast redevelopment including a ski centre and large concert venue around it, projected to attract four million visitors a year.But after disagreements, a lack of progress and missed deadlines, the council eventually scrapped the development deal with Morai.Current developer landlord Seven Capital was handed the lease instead, eventually securing planning permission for one of the country's largest indoor ski centres, an iMax cinema, concert venue and hotel complex on the surrounding site.It faced its own delays in securing funding but the developer said in October 2019 there was "no chance that we won't be building the snow centre". That never happened.When the Covid 19 pandemic struck, the Oasis never reopened after the second lockdown of 2020.Operator GLL handed back its lease saying the building was no longer a viable business proposition.The Oasis fell into a state of disrepair.
A very public Save Oasis Swindon campaign began with their patience tested with a perceived lack of progress and revised plans to replace the ageing dome with a more conventional roof.When the Grade II listing happened, Swindon Borough Council's previous Conservative administration attempted to get it removed, worried the protected status made redevelopment plans prohibitively expensive.But remain it did, as the lack of progress on the Oasis became a political football as Swindon switched hands from Conservative to Labour control.In 2023 the new Labour administration's priority shifted toward securing the future of the Oasis, at the expense of the wider plans.The administration has repeatedly claimed its approach with Seven Capital could see the famous leisure centre reopen in 2026, but given planning permission has not even been secured yet some might say that claim looks highly unlikely.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
Car finance scandal victims to get less than £950 each in compensation
The financial regulator estimates the compensation scheme for those impacted by the car finance scandal could cost between £9 billion and £18 billion, a significant reduction from the £45 billion initially projected. Individuals eligible for compensation are forecasted to receive less than £950 each. The statement from the FCA comes after the Supreme Court ruled that hidden commissions from lenders to car dealers on car loans were not unlawful, impacting millions of potential compensation claims. The decision means the majority of claims for mis-sold car loans will not proceed, with only the most serious cases eligible for compensation. The FCA plans to launch a consultation for payouts by early October, with the first payments expected in 2026, advising consumers against using claims management companies.
The Sun
10 minutes ago
- The Sun
Major UK retail chain to DEMOLISH ‘ghost town' store after collapsing into administration
A MAJOR UK retail chain is poised to knock down a 'ghost town' branch after the firm fell into administration. The Wilko store located on Kirkgate in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, is earmarked for demolition so the southern entrance to the city centre can be redeveloped. 2 The outlet shut its doors in 2023 after the high street chain of homestores went into administration. It is one of five commercial properties in the area that are due to be knocked down. They will be replaced with new homes and business units as part of a wider scheme by the local council to regenerate the area. Mini Market, Mattress and Divan Centre, Sweet Sensations and Hi Sushi are the other retail outlet set to be flattened as part of the plans. Wakefield Council was given nearly £25million worth of funding for the scheme from the government's Towns Fund in 2019. The work was approved following a planning proposal which had been submitted by the council but a planning officer's report said a further application would have to be submitted before the site could be redeveloped. Lower Kirkgate is a key route to get to the waterfront and is considered a major gateway to the city centre. The council had previously called the area a 'blight' on the city, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. It is also hoped that the redevelopment will encourage 'younger professionals' to live in the city centre and "bring year-round day and evening vibrancy" to the area, according to the council. Wilko closed its doors for good in 2023 after nearly a century in business, with more than 400 stores shutting and 12,000 staff affected. Visiting the new Wilko Store The news comes after the homeware giant Wayfair slashed its UK workforce by more than half in just two years, as it grapples with tumbling sales and a sharp drop in profit. The US -based furniture retailer, which operates across Britain, cut staff numbers from 847 in 2022 to just 405 by the end of 2024, according to fresh filings with Companies House. Wilko isn't the only retailer feeling the pinch on the high street. Furniture favourite collapsed into administration in 2022 after failing to find a buyer, leading to hundreds of job losses. Habitat also shut down all standalone stores in 2021, moving exclusively online after years of underperformance. Even major players have been forced to adapt. Argos has continued to reduce its physical footprint, shutting dozens of standalone shops and moving into parent company Sainsbury's stores to save costs. Retail experts say changing consumer habits, rising costs and weaker demand are continuing to batter the home and furniture sector. Many shoppers have tightened their belts amid soaring bills and higher interest rates, with big-ticket items like sofas and beds often the first to be cut from household budgets. RETAIL PAIN IN 2025 The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April. A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024. Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020." 2
Daily Mail
10 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
These two stocks have DOUBLED since I tipped them. Here are two more British firms you should invest in before they soar, reveals our money guru
The UK has been on a losing streak for too long. But the clouds seem to be lifting and Britons are beginning to win again. The Lionesses roared to victory in Europe, the British and Irish Lions dominated the Australia rugby test series and the International Monetary Fund says the UK will be the G7 's third fastest growing economy this year and next.
