Oswestry leisure centre land ‘should pay for sports facilities’
Tuesday 1st March 2011, 8:00PM GMT.
Money from any sale of the land on which Oswestry’s Leisure Centre stands should go to providing more facilities at the new sports complex town, councillors have claimed.
Ambitious plans to create the healthy living centre Oswald Park have been scaled down because of financial restrictions since the proposals were first launched seven years ago.
The latest casualty is the cafe which looks like being replaced with vending machines. Other facilities that could be axed include an all-weather pitch and a BMX track.
Last night town councillors suggested that if the land on which the old centre stands is sold for housing then developers should have to contribute, through a legal 106 agreement, to providing more facilities at nearby Oswald Park in Shrewsbury Road.
Councillor Bill Benyon, a Shropshire and Oswestry town councillor, said the multi-million pound Oswald Park was on schedule to open at the end of July.
He said he toured the new leisure centre on Monday and was impressed by the work so far.
But he said there was great concern over what should happen to the old centre once Oswald Park opened.
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They say they are creating a healthy living centre along shrewsbury Rd, but with no cafes but vending machines, How can they be healthy ?
Then other facilities that could be axed include an all-weather pitch and a BMX track, but surly this money was set aside for this development, where has it gone if it was or what was it wasted on ?
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It sounds like the Healthy Living Centre is slowly becoming a ” Only for the Wealthy Living Centre”. Why axe two essential elements of the plan? Is it because young people will be the main users?
I agree completely with the previous post : why no cafe? Have the residents of this area enough shops and provision that they deserve only
‘ vending machines ‘?
What a healthy and modern idea for a Leisure Centre that cost so much!
There are a few ” Oswestry AND Shropshire Councillors” in Shirehall: are they shouting enough for the interest of this town or are they there to keep their seats warm?
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