It is four years since the then-operator GLL, trading as Better, announced it would not re-open the Oasis Centre.

The iconic site in North Star had closed in March, 2020 for the first Covid-19 lockdown, and then again, after a brief re-opening in the summer, in October 2020 for the second national lockdown.

Restrictions were due to be lifted on November 26 of that year, but on November 18, 2020 Better said it would not re-open the centre as it found it impossible to make enough of a profit, and it handed the keys back to Seven Capital, the leaseholder.

Since then, hundreds of hours and thousands of words have been spent in discussions and arguments about what should happen next.

Here’s everything we know about the state of play.

The ownership of the centre is split between Swindon Borough Council which owns the freehold on the land, and Seven Capital, better known as a housing developer, which has about 90 years left of a 99-year lease. This makes Seven Capital, in effect, the owner of the oasis.

Seven Capital is expected to soon bring forward a planning application for a refurbished and rebuilt centre.

It had done so in 2021, but that plan did not feature the dome, which many see as iconic. In late 2021 the dome and lagoon pool area were listed, meaning it is protected from being demolished.

That move was opposed by both Seven Capital and the Conservative administration then running Swindon Borough Council, saying it would increase the costs of rebuilding the centre, but to no avail.

The campaign to have the dome and pool listed was spearheaded by a group, Save Oasis Swindon, which continues to press the council and Seven Capital to open the centre as soon as possible.

Currently, there is pressure by the group, and some ward councillors to get Seven Capital to go back on its plan not to have a sport5s hall in the rebuilt centre, with the footprint of the current hall taken up by outdoor all-weather turf football pitches.

As part of the agreement between Swindon Borough Council and Seven Capital, the developer will be able to build housing on some of the Oasis site and all of the cleared Claire’s factory site which was originally earmarked for the indoor snow centre the developer was given permission to build, but which was a victim of both Brexit and the Covid-129 pandemic.

Drawings seen by the Local Democracy Reporter, which were purportedly shown to councillors, suggest nine blocks of six or eight storeys could be built across the two sites.

January 1 2026 is the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Oasis and both the cabinet and Seven Capital have expressed confidence a new centre can be open during 2026, which leaves just over two years to have planning approval and get all the necessary work done.

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