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Swindon Oasis: Pleas for council to take back ownership

Google Oasis Leisure Centre in SwindonGoogle
The centre's operator said closing was the "only option available to us"

A fresh plea has been made to bring the Oasis leisure centre in Swindon back into public ownership.

More than 70 members of the public told the Swindon Borough Council leader that the centre's importance to the community was "hard to overstate".

Last month, the centre's operator GLL said the Oasis would not re-open after lockdown on 3 December.

Council leader David Renard said it was down to the landlord to find someone to "run and re-open" the centre.

GLL announced in November that it would "surrender its lease" back to landlord Seven Capital as the centre was "losing money" and needed "capital investment".

Since then, more than 2,000 people have signed a petition calling for the borough council "or another company" to manage the centre.

Swimming pool at the Oasis Leisure Centre
The Oasis houses a pool, gym and a multi-purpose sports hall

On Monday, dozens of people appealed to Mr Renard at the authority's scrutiny committee to secure the centre's future by bringing it back into public ownership.

In a statement read out by committee chairman Jim Robbins, they said the centre was "built with public money, for public ownership".

"The people of Swindon deserve clarity over what the council agreed with Seven Capital when it handed over the keys, and how far it is prepared to go to save it," resident Neil Robinson added.

"The Oasis must be saved as a number one priority for the council."

Mr Renard said there were "provisions for the centre to revert back to council ownership" but he did not see "any need for that at this stage".

"We are in extensive conversations right now with Seven Capital about finding someone else to take on the Oasis," he said,

"The obligation is on Seven Capital to find someone to run the centre and to re-open it and make the necessary investment."