Oxford leisure centres offering free week-long trial to some residents
The offer applies to Oxford City Council's three leisure centres - Barton Leisure Centre, Leys Pools and Leisure Centre, and Ferry Leisure Centre.
It is available for people living in areas that may become part of the proposed Greater Oxford Council, which includes Berinsfield, Botley, Kennington, Kidlington, and Wheatley.
Councillor Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council, said: "We believe Oxford has the best leisure offer in the region.
Councillor Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council (Image: Oxford City Council)
"There's a huge range of activities available – from gyms and swimming pools in our leisure centres to dance and exercise classes in our community centres.
"We're proposing a new council for Oxford and its surrounding villages, and we want residents of those villages to experience Oxford's leisure offer now.
"Take advantage of the free seven-day trial – and have your say on the Greater Oxford proposals by filling in the online survey."
The trial comes after the government asked councils across England for proposals on simplifying the structure of local government in their regions.
Oxford City Council has suggested replacing Oxfordshire's six councils with three new authorities - Greater Oxford Council, Northern Oxfordshire Council, and Ridgeway Council.
Greater Oxford Council would cover Oxford and its Green Belt, Northern Oxfordshire Council would cover most of the existing Cherwell and West Oxfordshire districts, and Ridgeway Council would cover most of the existing South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse districts, combined with the existing West Berkshire unitary.
The city council says all three councils would have natural geographic and demographic connections, local accountability to residents, and would be viable under the government's plans.
Currently, only Oxford residents are eligible for the city council's community services, which include free swimming for under-17s, youth activities through the Oxford Youth Ambition programme, and discounted leisure centre memberships for individuals on qualifying benefits.
Under the reorganisation plans, these services could be extended to all Greater Oxford residents, potentially including leisure centres in Berinsfield, Kidlington, and Wheatley.
The leisure centres are operated by More Leisure and offer gyms, swimming pools, and a variety of fitness programmes.
To take part in the free trial, residents can book online at oxfordcityleisure.com/trial.
Oxford City Council has also launched an online survey to gather feedback on the Greater Oxford Council proposals before submitting its final proposal to the government in November.
The survey, which takes around 10 minutes to complete, is available on the council's consultation portal and will close on August 12.
More information about the Greater Oxford proposals can be found on the dedicated Greater Oxford website.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Pots and pans included in Mid Devon recycling
Unwanted pots and pans will be included permanently in kerbside recycling in Mid Devon after a successful trial. A three-month trial between February and May was carried out by Mid Devon District Council with a total of 453 properties participating from Willand and 346 in Uffculme. The council said the take up was low with less than 3% of trial households in Willand participating and less than 1.5% from Uffculme. Councillor Luke Taylor, the leader of the council, told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday while the uptake was low he thought it "shows we are a forward-looking council". He said: "I don't know how many other councils collect pots and pans, but I doubt it is a significant number and it is important to show this council is always looking to do more. "We already collect the most items in Devon, including collecting small electrical items. It's amazing what residents can put out in their recycling and so the focus now is on making sure we tell residents what we do collect." More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Councillor Josh Wright, who submitted a report to the cabinet about the trial, said the trial showed it was "operationally feasible". He said: "If this was permanently introduced, it could further enhance our capabilities and environmental reputation, even though there would be a minimal effect on our recycling rate. "But the trial was useful to understand potential participation rates and residents did initially used the service but then usage dropped off, making it difficult to predict future usage across the district." The cabinet backed making the trial permanent with officers stating it could be rolled out from October, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. Officers added it would make clear exactly which types of pots and pans could be recycled - those with Teflon coating may not qualify, but more modern non-stick coatings should be accepted. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ More on this story Paint recycling scheme started in Devon Recycling centres to sell refurbished appliances New council company to manage recycling services Related internet links Mid Devon District Council
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Everybody needs good neighbours: 60% say avoiding disagreements ‘top priority'
More than a third (36%) of people have had a row with a neighbour, according to research involving users of a property website. Curtain twitching (70%), noise (78%) and parking spot poachers (71%) are among people's top annoyances, according to Rightmove's survey of more than 1,200 people, including homeowners and renters. Neighbour behaviours deemed to be the biggest red flags were asking for Wi-Fi passwords (87%) and overflowing bins (71%). Young adults aged 18 to 34 are particularly sensitive to noisy (82%) and nosey neighbours (73%), the research indicated. People aged 55 and over (39%) and those living in the South East of England (42%) are particularly likely to have had disagreements with other locals, according to the study. Avoiding neighbourhood disagreements is a top priority for six in 10 (60%) people when moving home, rising to nearly seven in 10 (69%) among people living in the East Midlands. Prospective buyers are taking extra steps to dodge potential problems, including driving by the property at different times of the day to check for issues (59%), expanding their area search (58%), and checking local community groups online for any disputes (43%), Rightmove's survey, carried out in May, found. Colleen Babcock, a property expert at Rightmove said: 'Neighbourly disputes are an inevitable part of community life, but our research highlights just how significantly these everyday annoyances can influence people's decisions when moving home.' Mary-Lou Press, president of NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents) Propertymark, said: 'When buying a property, it can be essential to spend time researching and learning more about the immediate area that surrounds it. 'In addition to a comprehensive and physical look around the local vicinity during the day, the weekend and/or the evening, it can be helpful to strike up conversations with people, such as surrounding neighbours, if the opportunity arises. 'Online snippets of information might also help you make a better decision too, such as checking the rate of crime in a particular neighbourhood, the performance of schools and health-related services, or even running a car insurance quote to help with your financial planning.'
News24
an hour ago
- News24
Forget about Sundowns and focus on yourself – Palacios' advice to PSL clubs
Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once.
