THERE are calls to open the Oasis car park while the doors of the town's iconic leisure centre remain firmly shut.

The 1970s-built venue in North Star closed in the autumn and there appears little prospect of it reopening any time soon.

Now Jim Grant – who is both a ward councillor for the area and leader of the town's Labour group – is calling for the dormant car park to be brought back into use.

Coun Grant put the suggestion to council leader David Renard at the scrutiny committee meeting and has followed it up with a letter.

He believes using the car park would relieve pressure nearby.

Coun Grant said: “There must be upward of 500 spaces in the car park which are currently not being used.

“There is a problem in the Ferndale Road area where people park in local streets in the morning and then walk through the Oasis underpass into town to work or shop.

"This causes problems for local residents who when they return home themselves after work often find it difficult to park in their own street."

Coun Grant has asked the Conservative-run borough council, which owns the land in North Star where the centre sits, to open talks with landlord Seven Capital. The company has a long-term lease on the Oasis and car park, making it the effective owner.

He added: “If Seven Capital could see their way to allow people to park in the Oasis car park then this would go a long way to alleviating the local parking problem.

"As leaseholders of the site Seven Capital are entitled to do want they want with the car park but allowing residents to park there would send a signal to the Swindon that they are receptive to the needs of local people as they have stated in the past.”

Coun Grant said he would prefer the parking to be free but charging a fee for parking would also be acceptable.

The council administration is yet to respond to Coun Grant’s suggestion.

A series of incursions into the centre have seen security beefed up to prevent further break-ins.

The centre closed when operator GLL announced it was making too much of a loss and announced it would not re-open after second lockdown was lifted.

Seven Capital has recently begun talks with the Save Oasis Swindon campaign – set up to try and get the centre open again as soon as possible – with what both sides said were positive results.