Centre could lead to snow all year (From Swindon Advertiser)

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Centre could lead to snow all year

8:10am Friday 27th February 2009 in News Photograph of the Author Exclusive By James Wallin

Centre could lead to snow all year

SWINDON’S skyline could one day have a new landmark – a 250-foot snowdome.

The state-of-the-art facility could be the only one in the country and one of just a handful in the world.

The Adver can exclusively reveal that Swindon Council has had talks with Urban Ski, which is searching for sites worldwide for their snowdomes, about housing the complex on the site of the Oasis leisure centre at North Star.

It would dominate the Swindon landscape, standing almost as tall as the David Murray John Building.

It would include a bobsleigh run, ice rinks and other entertainment.

The slope itself would be powered by electro-magnets which would carry the user down and up the slopes without the use of a ski lift.

The slope would be kept at room temperature but would pass through refrigerated fake mountains to keep the snow from melting.

Other snowdomes exist around the country, including ones in Milton Keynes, Tamworth and Castleford, but the Urban Ski project would be unique in its use of electro-magnets instead of a ski lift, meaning the user never needs to leave the snow.

The council is keen to refurbish the well-used Oasis and believes the site could be used more effectively. Officers have stressed that if the deal was to go ahead it would not harm plans to house a university campus at North Star.

Bill Cotton, Swindon Council's director of economic and cultural development, said: “We have been approached by the company about a revolutionary leisure concept to come to Swindon.

“At the moment we are waiting for them to come back to us with further details.

“If we were going to have it we would be looking across Swindon. The Oasis is just one site we are considering, but if we did go for that location it would in no way diminish our commitment to a university at North Star.

“If it was to come to Swindon it would be a national attraction and would bring more visitors and more national profile as well as providing first class leisure facilities for local people.

“The company are looking at a few sites around the UK but Swindon is their number one choice and could very well be the only site in the UK.”

Coun Phil Young, cabinet member for culture, regeneration and economic development, said: “It is something we would like to continue talking to them about because it would be a major leisure facility for Swindon and something that would bring a lot of people to the town.

“It is still in the very early stages and I would imagine that at the moment they are looking at their finances in the light of the state of the economy.

“It is certainly not a done deal but it is great for people to be interested in Swindon for a project of this size.”

Joanne Taylor-Stagg, president of the Swindon Chamber of Commerce, said: “I do think it would be good for the town.

“At the moment I think people know Swindon is great for business but if we could get the leisure facilities up to that same standard I think it would be a real benefit.

“It would bring visitors and money into the town and would be something really unique.”

Comments(55)

localgirl80 says...
8:24am Fri 27 Feb 09

Put it in the centre of Swindon where the traffic is chaos anyway !!! That makes sense - NOT.

Im not a planner or anything but how about a place where you can modify the road links that could cope with the intensified traffic.