Fresh claims Swindon's Oasis Centre will remain shut

Labour councillors in Swindon say they fear the Conservative-run authority will not authorise public money to help reopen the Oasis Centre.

Operator GLL closed it on 3 December citing "enforced closures" in lockdown and "reduced operating capacity."

The Tory council "has made it clear it will not provide any public funding for the day-to-day running costs of the Oasis", Labour's group leader said.

Cabinet member Dale Heenan said his party was committed to reopening it.

Mr Heenan told councillors: "The Conservatives have said many, many times that we want the Oasis reopened, and it will be.

"We are the only ones prepared to work with the landlord to ensure a multi-million [pound] refurbishment takes place."

He said GLL had reported losses of more than £500,000 due to the impact of Covid-19 and had been left with "no choice" but to hand back the keys to landlord Seven Capital.

Last week the council said it would consider spending up to £5m on "leisure opportunity" in the town but did not state that would be exclusively for the Oasis, the Local Democracy Reporting Service stated.

Council opposition leader Jim Grant said: "Labour believes Swindon's assets should be owned by and accessible to all people in Swindon.

"Leisure facilities are crucial among these, and it's important that they're run not purely in the interests of private profit, but rather that they are affordable for everyone to swim, exercise and enjoy themselves.

"We are committing to finding the solutions; to work with Seven Capital to find an alternative provider, to put residents in Swindon first and get the doors of the Oasis open again."

Swindon Borough Council owns the land and building, Seven Capital owns a 99-year lease and had employed GLL to run the leisure centre.

By early December more than 2,000 people had signed a petition calling for the borough council or another company to manage the centre.

The council's scrutiny committee meets later to discuss the matter.

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