A COUNCILLOR has claimed the borough council did not have the cash to save the Oasis from closure due to funding cuts.

Labour’s spokesman for finance Kevin Small was responding to the news that while government grants of £16.7m have allowed the Conservative administration to balance the 2020-21 budget, there is still a £3.8m gap in planning for 2021-22, even with a 3.99 per cent council tax increase.

Coun Small said: “The Covid funding from the government was welcome in helping the council balance the budget for this year, but that didn’t cover all local facilities, including – crucially – the Oasis centre.

“That meant the council was unable to step in to help GLL keep it open.

“Next year’s budget cuts are just the latest episode in the series of cuts to local government support funding.

"Under the past decade of Conservative rule, our support grant has been cut from over half our budget to less than 25 per cent, which in turn places a huge burden on council tax.”

The Conservative administration will present its budget for 2021-22 in February.

The impact of both lockdowns was blamed by social enterprise and leisure operator GLL and landlord Seven Capital on deciding that the Oasis' future was no longer viable.

They came to this decision over the amount of money being lost and rent required to continue operating the site.

An agreement is being finalised which will see GLL give back its lease to Seven Capital.