Leisure centre will not be listed as community asset

A second bid to turn a closed leisure centre into an Asset of Community Value (ACV) has been rejected.

Campaigners say plans to rebuild the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon - which shut in 2020 - without its sports hall "reduce the famous leisure centre heavily in size".

Listing a building as an ACV allows a six month pause to see if a community group can take it on and run it when the owner wants to sell.

Councillor Kevin Small, Swindon Borough Council's cabinet member for finance, said the local authority knew its rejection of the bid would be "unpopular".

But he said the council had been given "very clear, independent legal advice from specialists in this field" which suggested the building did not meet tests to be listed.

The Wiltshire site is due to be redeveloped by leaseholders Seven Capital, who plan to restore the centre's Grade II listed dome and pool and build 700 homes.

Becoming an ACV does not prevent a building's sale, use for a different purpose or demolition.

The latest ACV application by campaign group Save Oasis Swindon was for the whole site - after a first bid relating exclusively to the sports hall was rejected in April.

The group said it had "no major issues with the proposed apartments around the site", but it did have objections to reducing sports facilities.

"The Oasis Leisure Centre is a prime leisure centre in Swindon, built for the benefit of the community.

"We are determined to save the whole Oasis Leisure Centre as one complete unit for the people of Swindon," it added.

Seven Capital's plans will be discussed by the council's planning committee in July.

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