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Town Green status could scupper swimming pool plans
15 September
AN application for Blackbird Leys Park to be given Town Green status could scupper plans for the new swimming pool. The application is currently being considered by Oxfordshire County Council, and has been made to prevent the building work starting for the new competition standard swimming pool next to Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre.
If the Town Green application had not been made Oxford City Council would now be starting work on the pool and it would open just after the 2012 London Olympics.
A spokesman for the city council said: “If the Town Green application goes ahead and is successful, Oxford City Council would be unable to enforce its by-laws. This includes restricting activities such as golf, and preventing vehicles such as motorbikes riding on the park.
“There would be no development on the site and the £150,000 development of the play area on Pegasus Road which is due to open early next year would not be able to happen. This is anticipated to be one of our biggest and best play areas in the city. Our ability to offer organised sport such as football would be greatly compromised as people would have the right to roam over the pitches.”
Councillor Van Coulter, Board Member for Leisure Services, added: “While our legal advice gives us confidence that we will defeat the Town Green application on the grounds that the area is already a park, it will result in a delay to starting the scheme.
“The impacts of the delays are that we have increased the project contingency by £350,000 which is to cover the rising cost of materials such as steel, increased professional fees and legal advice. We also risk losing key members of the professional team to other projects as we are unable to confirm a start date. We contend that this is not a village green or some scrub land on the edge of a village over which people have established through time rights of access.
“Blackbird Leys Park is a park for everyone’s enjoyment including sport and leisure pastimes. It needs to develop reflecting the needs of the city and the local community and not be frozen in time and therefore doomed to degenerate.
“The timing and nature of the application makes us suspicious that the application is a spoiling tactic to slow down or prevent the development.”
The city council spokesman said that there is evidence of such tactics across the country.
“The Government is so concerned about the impact of such approaches that it has issued a consultation document which proposes curbing the ability to thwart development through using town green legislation. Oxford City Council supports the proposals made which includes excluding any development with planning permission from such applications. The competition standard swimming pool in Blackbird Leys will provide a high quality, sustainable facility for now and for future generations. The scheme includes a 25 metre, eight lane pool, teaching pool, toddler fun pool, sauna, soft play area, additional car parking, landscaping and has very good low carbon credentials.”
Once the pool opens, both Temple Cowley and Blackbird Leys Pools, which are at the end of their life will close. The spokesman added: “The new pool has planning permission and is fully funded. We have a contractor ready and waiting to start work. The construction of the pool will provide employment opportunities with up to 100 workers on site; create four apprenticeships, and student workshops throughout the build. It will result in around £2.65m of the works being undertaken by local companies and we estimate that for every pound spent locally that it generates a further £4 of local spend.
“Meanwhile, the condition of Temple Cowley Pools is worsening. In recent weeks, the air conditioning and poolside air handling have both failed. We are in the process of trying to rectify these issues, but such failures are happening with an increasing frequency. The risk of an unplanned closures increase as the condition of the two pools continues to deteriorate.”
If the Town Green is successful we could be left with both Temple Cowley and Blackbird Leys Pools closing with no replacement as despite the protestations of the campaign group a refurbishment plan is not affordable.”
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