Plans for a major leisure development which will include a 5,000-seat arena, cinema and ski slope on land near the Oasis Leisure Centre were today submitted to Swindon Borough Council.
Developer Moirai Capital Investments is seeking outline planning approval for the £120m, 31-acre (12.5ha) mixed-use scheme at North Star, which would also feature a hotel, restaurants and shops. 
The development would transform the area into one of the UK’s largest leisure and entertainment destinations – bringing in thousands of visitors a year and delivering a major boost to Swindon’s economy.
Moirai, which has recently spent £3m refurbishing the Oasis, has been working on the plans for several years. They were recently put on public display to gauge the views of local people.
The plans include:
- Up to 50,000 sq m of mixed leisure including a cinema, 5,000-seat entertainment arena, ski centre and other leisure uses which could potentially include a crazy golf centre, comedy club, laser tag and skate park,
- Up to 12,000 sq m of restaurants and cafes,
- Up to 12,000 sq m retail space with a minimum of 9,000 sq m of sports retailing,
- Up to 9,000 sq m for a hotel;
It would also include a central plaza and internal walkways with parking for up to 1,600 cars and motorcycles, cycle parking spaces, drop off bays for disabled users, taxis and coaches.
The site’s existing sports pitches would be replaced along with improvements to the road network.
Moirai chairman Martin Barber said today: “The submission for approval of the outline plans is a crucial step in the process of getting this major development on the ground.
“All of us at Moirai are really pleased to have achieved this milestone. Getting to this point has been complex, with consideration given to the best possible layout for the project, but also to issues such as traffic management and the potential environmental impact of the development.
“We are confident that the submission we have made takes account of all these – and other – factors.
“We have long said that the Oasis and North Star sites have great potential for development as a leisure and entertainment destination for the surrounding area. We are entirely confident that the plans we have submitted will achieve that objective.”
Swindon Council cabinet member for economy, regeneration & skills Cllr Garry Perkins, added: “The planning application represents another key step in this exciting project. I am satisfied that now Moirai have put together a proposal that matches the council’s ambitions for the North Star site, and I look forward to hearing more as they get closer to turning these plans into a reality and gain commitments from prospective operators.”
With many of the visitors to the new scheme expected to arrive by train – Swindon station is within walking distance – Forward Swindon, the council’s inward investment and regeneration company, has completed a feasibility study for a new pedestrian crossing over the mainline, next to the station. The bridge would connect the north and south parts of the town centre.
Forward Swindon director of development Chris Hitchings said: “Swindon is well connected to a huge, affluent catchment, and there is a demand for a multi-use leisure scheme of this magnitude. The arena and ski centre, for example, will provide Swindon with high-profile destinations to compete with the likes of Cardiff, Bristol and Milton Keynes.”
Moirai is one of the UK’s leading developers of sport, leisure and entertainment facilities with particular expertise in creating major leisure destinations.
It has also been appointed as preferred developer of the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, together with the development of an associated sports and water village.
