Labour councillors and members of the online campaign Save Oasis Swindon have reacted to the news that Conservative councillors in the ruling group on Swindon Borough Council want to have the Oasis Centre delisted.

The Conservatives say having the dome and main building, which date to 1976, listed earlier this year means it is too difficult, and costly, to renovate the centre in order to make it viable to re-open.

The council will seek to have Historic England move the centre off its list of protected buildings to better allow the lease-holders Seven Capital to move forward with plans to rebuild and reopen the centre.

The Labour group’s spokesman on community and culture Adorabelle Shaikh said: “We want to see the Oasis reopened as soon as possible for the residents of Swindon to use.

“It is very disappointing that Seven Capital and the Conservative Administration have made no progress on this since the listing, in the same way that they have made no progress on the snow centre over the last seven years.

“The Conservative administration is now flailing around trying to find new ways to save its own skin. The decision to sign a contract with developers that gave away control of the leisure centre is the real failing here - not the decision of Historic England to list the building. 

“The decision to offload the Town’s leisure assets has led to the closure of the small pool at the Health Hydro, the closing of Highworth golf course, the potential loss of the nine-hole course at Broome Manor, and, most shameful of all, the closure of the Borough’s flagship leisure attraction, the Oasis.

“The dome is iconic and its listing gave hope to campaigners that the facility might be saved. Ultimately, people in Swindon will just want to get leisure facilities back up and running but they are being failed.

“The people of Swindon own the Oasis, no matter how long a lease the Council granted Seven Capital, and they should decide on its future.

Coun Shaikh concluded: “The Conservatives need to step up, commission some independent reports and hold a proper engagement process to see how to proceed. They also need to understand the reasons behind the listing and should work with Heritage England, the 20th Century Society and the local Save the Oasis Campaign team to understand their positions as part of the engagement process."

The Save Oasis Swindon campaign said it was “angry, but not surprised” at the news.

A spokesman for the campaign group said: “We are confident the council will to get the Oasis de-listed. The listing happened only nine months ago, with valid reasons and justification. The dome is still in sound condition, and the Oasis would only be removed from the register if it no longer held architectural or historical interest, which clearly isn’t the case.

The spokesman added: “There is no reason why Seven Capital and Swindon Borough Council cannot fully restore and make the current building energy efficient and viable with new dome panels and solar energy.

“We want both leisure and heritage preserved in Swindon. The people of Swindon want a fully restored and reopened Oasis – trying to de-list it will only kick the can down the road and delay reopening further.

 “Accept the listing and get on with the restoration, nothing will change that fact. The listing preserves the leisure footprint on the site.

“The Oasis is a vital asset to Swindon and a key part of our cultural heritage and that is why it was listed in the first place.

"If the council hadn’t neglected it and outsourced it, the Oasis would still be open today. Our campaign is going nowhere.”