This includes bringing back the familiar wave machine, but a sports hall is not proposed.
The development company, which is the de facto owner of the site having a 99-year lease, has put in a formal planning application to be allowed to rebuild the centre, maintaining the listed elements of pool area and dome.
The plans themselves are not yet available, but Swindon Borough Council has confirmed that they have been submitted – and Seven Capital says it has changed some of its proposals in light of feedback from nearly 1,900 people.
Whereas the company’s plans for the pool originally included an oval pool separated from the main pool with a huge ball to create waves, Seven Capital now says: “We will replace the existing wave machine with a similar format wave machine.
“While there will still be the need to improve the overall setting of the wet side of Oasis, we will also now look to retain the existing pool area, subject to necessary health and safety improvements. “These changes have been carefully considered and can be achieved while reducing the cost of operating the previous pool setting and retaining as much of the original listed elements of the building as possible.”
During the pre-application consultation, several people had expressed the view that the main pool appeared to be little more than “an indoor splash park for very small children” with the oval pool and a separate lane swimming pool constructed.
Seven Capital says this picture no longer reflects its formal proposals. (Image: Seven Capital)
Now the company says the pool will feature: “State-of-the-art aqua play, and teaching lane pool. Domebusters slides will be replaced with a new intertube slide complex, representing an upgrade to the previous slides.”
Seven Capital’s managing director Damien Siviter spoke to many of the people who attended the drop-in session last week at the New College Swindon campus near the Oasis site. He said: “We have taken the public consultation very seriously and accommodated updates to our detailed application for the Oasis where strong feeling has been evident and where it has been possible – in line with advice from both heritage and planning consultants, as well as leisure operators.
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“We are confident that the plans we have brought forward for the Oasis, along with the wider site outline, will deliver a renewed, revived and exciting destination that marries both the Oasis’ heritage with long-term sustainability so that future generations will continue to enjoy this much-loved venue.”
Seven Capital’s statement confirms that a sports hall, which many people have lobbied for, is not part of the scheme: “Plans to include a new bowling alley, indoor golf, state-of-the-art gym, and café spaces remain within the proposals, with new outdoor all-weather pitches, replacing the sports hall, which after significant consultation with leisure operators is not deemed sufficiently economical to replace.”
Outline consent for 707 flats and houses on the site has also been requested.
Leader of Swindon Borough Council, Councillor Jim Robbins said: “It is great to see the planning application come in and I’m pleased to see the changes to the wave machine plans as a result of the consultation.
“I’m pleased Seven Capital were listening and have taken action. I’m clear that the only way to get the Oasis reopened is this plan and I hope residents will get behind the amended and improved plan to make sure future generations of Swindonians can enjoy the Oasis again as soon as possible.”
The centre has been closed since it shut its doors for the November 2020 Covid-19 lockdown.
Swindon Borough Council says it is validating the planning application and hopes to have it online on its portal soon.
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