THE former manager of a cycling club based at the Oasis hopes the facilities are kept intact when the North Star development is built next door.

Daniel Harper of Swindon Cycle Speedway and his fellow club members had used a cycling track at the leisure centre for more than 40 years.

Dwindling interest in the club and the uncertainty over whether it could continue once the £270m complex was completed led to Daniel deciding not to renew the lease agreement.

He said: “Our sport is the cycle version of the speedway that takes place at Blunsdon. In fact, Swindon legends like Alun Rossiter, Malcolm Holloway and his sons - one of them being an engine for the best riders in speedway – probably started their speedway journeys by taking part in the sport.

“The club had fallen on hard times in recent years with the constant threat of the development hanging over it.

“Interest in pursuing the club dwindled, so in July the club made the decision not to sign the lease agreement with SevenCapital and effectively closed the club.”

“I agree with the councillors who say that the developers should engage with Swindon Borough Council so that the swimming pool and its facilities should be retained if they are still entrusted to develop the site.

“The Oasis is an important leisure facility for us locals and to neighbouring towns.

“As long as there is a track at the Oasis, we will have the potential to get the club going again but it does depend on what happens with the development

.”