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Thursday, October 31 - Wednesday, November 6, 2013
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Thursday, October 31 - Wednesday, Novem ber 6, 2013
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NO DONE DEAL Didcot Wave decision still very much up in the air Sports facility is officially open!
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SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council’s leader has said she can cannot give “any comfort” to resi residents who have concerns about the future of the Didcot abou Wave until she has more details Wav abou about the new leisure centre. Cllr Ann Ducker voted in favour Cll of Cl Cllr Eleanor Hards’ motion at last week’s district council meeting to acknowledge the “popularity and brand loyalty shown larit towards the Wave”. towa The motion also recommended that cabinet consults widely with “Didcot residents and those living within a 10 mile radius on plans for the Wave before any decisions are taken on its future”. Any proposals about the mixture of facilities at the new centre will go to Scrutiny Committee before any decisions are made. SODC’s Sport and Leisure study for Didcot recommends replacing the Wave with the new centre in the north-east of the town. However, when asked if she could provide any comfort to people who have taken the recommendation as a tablet of stone, Cllr Ducker said she could not for the time being. “I can’t give them any comfort,” she said. “We have got to look at what we will be providing and what the fi nances are and only those people who are actually experienced
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in dealing with leisure facilities can feed us this information. “Until we have an informed decision we can’t even consult. I can’t stress that enough.” She added: “The Wave could be replaced. “The question that has to be asked, and we don’t know the answer to this, is if there is a new facility will the Wave still be in a position of giving a fi nancial return?” At the meeting last Thursday, petitioner Des Healy had the opportunity to voice his concerns about the future of the Wave after his campaign attracted over 1,600 signatures from OX11 residents. Mr Healy, a Didcot town councillor, spoke about the practicalities of people living in the south of the town travelling to the new leisure centre in the north east. Cllr Ducker said: “I don’t think that is a good enough reason, however I do at this moment have a very open mind. “It is far too early for such a petition to have happened because we haven’t made any decisions.” Cllr Bill Service, cabinet member for Leisure at SODC, added: “I’m not one for this north-south argument. “The new leisure centre is something for the town. It is • Continued on page 3