THE leasing of Swindon’s leisure and golf facilities took a step forward last night as the cabinet recommended the proposal to go before full council.

Last week it emerged the Greenwich Leisure Limited, who currently operate the Oasis, will run all the leisure facilities while Twigmarket will take over the golf.

It is a move designed to save £1.4 million in subsidies a year as well as some of the cost of repairs. Council leaders have hailed the move as a positive step forward which will secure significant investment for the sites.

The proposal will now go before full council in July and if it is approved, the transfer could be completed by the end of the year.

The opposition have broadly welcomed the plan and said they support the leisure lease, although they oppose Croft Fields, the subject of an extraordinary council meeting next week, being included on the lease.

However, Labour have said they do not support the golf facilities being leased out as making them break even will not be hard and therefore no reason exists not to keep them in council control.