Act now to save Swindon’s canal restoration
If a leisure centre refurbishment goes ahead as proposed, Swindon will forever lose the possibility of restoring a working canal through the town centre.
Seven Capital, the owners of the Oasis Leisure Centre in North Star, have not featured a route for the Wilts & Berks Canal in its plans. The historic canal line runs next to the site along the cycleway from the Sheppard Street underpass towards Great Western Way. The space isn’t wide enough for a functioning canal and without a connection here, restoring the canal elsewhere brings much less value to our community—canals only work as part of the UK’s 2,000-mile waterway network.
All that’s needed to keep the canal dream alive is to shift the boundary of the development site slightly to protect the future route as per planning restraints. Seven Capital has ignored this simple adjustment, despite meeting us and having had years to consider the canal’s importance to Swindon’s future.
Watch this eight-minute YouTube clip to see the benefits canals bring: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg0B_2v-bLk. Canals may seem expensive to restore, but the income they generate pays back the costs in under 10 years—not to mention the proven recreational, health, and biodiversity benefits.
If you want to keep the canal option open, whether you like or dislike the Oasis proposals:
Sign the petition here: https://chng.it/nRrVKCFMkX
Submit your comments directly to the Council’s consultation before the Friday 10 January.
Email: SDevelopmentControl@swindon.
Write to: Planning Department, Wat Tyler House, Beckhampton St, SN1 2JG
Refer to these applications:
- S/OUT/24/1426 (housing scheme by the Oasis)
- S/OUT/24/1247 (industrial site north of Hawksworth)
Together, we can make sure Swindon keeps this vital piece of both its history and its future!
