CAMPAIGNERS are dismayed by plans to remove the Oasis Leisure Centre's famous dome.

Members of the Save Oasis Swindon group say the plans put forward by Seven Capital at the end of last week “miss the point” and will turn a famous and popular Swindon facility into a “bog-standard” leisure centre.

Founder of the group Neil Robinson said: “We were surprised when the plans came out and very disappointed. We went up to meet with Seven Capital in the summer and thought they were preparing to work with the centre after it was listed.

“The plans put out totally miss the point of the Oasis as far as we are concerned.

“Lots of people used to go to the Oasis because it was special. I was swimming there right up until it closed a year ago. It was a different experience under the dome. That was the point. It was special. 

“You don’t get the same feeling at the link centre of the Milton Road baths.

“Getting rid of the dome just makes it into an ordinary leisure centre – a bog-standard centre, and it won’t be like the Oasis that we all love and remember.”

Seven Capital’s plans also don’t include a large sports hall, meaning a future building could not host the concerts that made it so famous as the inspiration for 90s Britpop stars Oasis.

Mr Robinson said: “It will be just a pool and a gym and some football pitches – that’s not the Oasis. It is famous as a concert venue, we need a place for bands to come and play in Swindon. It used to bring lots of people into the town.”

The current building is currently the subject of a listing application by the campaign group and a decision is awaited.

Mr Robinson said: “We’re desperate to have it listed now, it’s been delayed and delayed. It should be listed so the dome is retained as a Swindon icon and then the centre should be reopened.”

Seven Capital and Swindon Borough Council both oppose the listing application. They say the domed roof is obsolete and hugely expensive to heat and impossible to insulate.

Seven Capital says if the building is not listed and its plans for the rebuilt centre are approved it has a company lined up to run it as soon as it is finished

Plans are available at swindon.gov.uk using reference S/21/1770.