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Community News

The deal is off: North Star site developer is dropped

Ambitious plans to create a major all parties including ward members
leisure destination at North Star and cabinet members.
have been thrown into doubt after Cllr Perkins said: “The North
Swindon Borough Council served Star leisure scheme is one of the
notice to end the development Council’s Pledges so is vitally
agreement with Moirai Capital important to us as it will provide
Investments Limited. a huge boost to the town in terms
But Cllr Garry Perkins, Swindon of attracting visitors, inward
Borough Council’s cabinet member investment and jobs.
for the economy, regeneration and “This is why we have taken
skills said he is confident that other the decision to serve a notice of
developers will be found to pursue An artist’s impression of what had been proposed for the North Star site termination of the development
the council’s vision. agreement on Moirai as we need to
The decision was taken after The council has said it wants The lease covering the Oasis press ahead with these plans and
proposals by Moirai to transform to speed up progress on the site Leisure Centre will not be put Swindon on the map.
the area with more than £100m of and will explore the best options affected by the termination of Moirai has done a great job with
investment stalled. to enable the scheme to proceed. the development agreement as the Oasis by investing millions of
The council served Moirai notice With this in mind, it recently gave Moirai has fulfilled its contractual pounds and turning the facility into
of its intention to terminate the the go-ahead for the creation of a obligations for the Oasis lease. one that was costing the council
development agreement and £50m commercial investment fund. Under the development money to run, into a leisure centre
three of the leases granted to the The North Star decision follows agreement, Moirai was contracted that now returns a significant
developer covering the former the recent initiative to take a more to refurbish the Oasis, which the annual return.
Clares site, which had been hands-on role at the Wichelstowe company has confirmed cost them “The council has given Moirai
earmarked for an indoor ski slope, development, which will see in the region of £3m. enough opportunity to take forward
water park, a hotel and other the Council lead on providing a To date, the council has also saved its plans but, ultimately, the council
leisure-related retail. restaurant, housing for older people almost £2m through the Oasis lease cannot hang on indefinitely and
The council has the right to end and residential development. and received an annual rent from we have had to take this decisive
the agreement and the leases if key Should Moirai fail to obtain Moirai since the lease was signed. action. We have a number of
targets are not met. planning permission within the Moirai was identified as the options we can pursue to ensure
Moirai has until 12 January termination notice period, options preferred private operator for the this ambitious vision is achieved
to fulfil the terms of the notice for taking the regeneration project leisure scheme following a bid and we are confident that we can
otherwise the development and the forward will be developed over the process that was evaluated by still create a landmark scheme that
leases will automatically terminate. next few months. council officers and councillors from Swindon can be proud of.”

£20m town centre plans unveiled

Director of Forward Swindon Paul Chamberlain describes the plan
Ambitious plans to revamp Swindon within the constraints of the site.
town centre have been unveiled “We feel that the plan we have
– and members of the public have put together ticks lots of boxes and
been invited to have their say. is in the spirit of what was set out
The £20m project, which was put in the town’s masterplan.
on show in the town centre, will The 188 residential units will be
see the redevelopment of the Aspen built in two linked but separate
House and Granville Street area. blocks. The plan also sees a
Plans by Forward Swindon include continuation and expansion of the
the building of 188 homes and a current town centre shopping area.
ground floor retail development as The two shopping areas outlined
part of a five-year-plan to breathe in the plan will be linked with a
new life into the town centre. pedestrianised route.
Director of Forward Swindon, Paul There will also be four distinct
Chamberlain, said: “A lot of thought blocks of new housing alongside
has gone into these proposals. We shops and cafes.
want to deliver it in a way that is For more information visit
commercially viable and that works www.aspen-house.com
8 swindonlink.com n January 2017

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