Oasis sports hall debate reignited by leisure operator

Currently, the sports hall and music venue does not feature in plans for the centre when it is refurbished, meaning it will be demolished. 

The Save Oasis Swindon campaign has called for it to be saved and even staged a protest there, but Swindon Borough Council has maintained that the hall isn't viable at the site and the prospective leisure operators don't want it. 

But a letter from GLL, which is one of the leisure operators being considered to run the Oasis, sent to a member of the public has caused some to question this position. 

In the letter, from GLL's partnership manager for Swindon, Barnaby Rich, he said: "It is fantastic to see the passion and the love shown by so many Swindon residents for this iconic centre and I applaud your commitment.

"However, I think it is important to stress that GLL are not part of any decision-making process with respect of the scheme to rebuild/refurbish the Oasis centre."

The letter from GLL's Barnaby Rich regarding the Oasis (Image: Save Oasis Swindon)

Members of the Save Oasis Swindon campaign group feel this contradicts comments made by both the leader of the council Jim Robbins and councillor Kevin Small.

Cllr Robbins has previously publicly said: “The operators are leading this process. They are the people who have to make the Oasis work. They don’t want a sports hall. It isn’t about SevenCapital (the landlord).”

And Cllr Small publicly said in a council meeting: “Business have made it clear there is no viable case for a future Oasis which includes the sports hall.”

When challenged about this potential contradiction, Mr Robbins said: “The letter doesn’t tally with what we’ve been told.”

While the letter does say that GLL letter would be interested in running a restored Oasis, it does not outright say that a sports hall is viable, nor does it say that GLL would prefer the sports hall to remain. 

"Informal conversations with developers who have been working on the scheme" are also mentioned, but no detail is provided about what these discussions involved. 

The letter from Mr Rich concludes: "It will be interesting to see what the finals scheme will look like and I hope the facility mix will meet the needs of all our community improving health, wellbeing and opportunities for us all."

GLL was the leisure operator that shut the Oasis in 2020, including the sports hall,  because it said it was no longer financially viable.

Swindon Borough Council has been approached for comment.