Could It Be? A Snow Dome in Swindon by 2015? Don't Hold Your Breath!!

So there are detailed plans being "officially" presented to the Cabinet on Wednesday, February 15, 2012.

The Snowdome that has been banded about since 2004, plans to turn Swindon's landmark building 'The Oasis', into a thriving shopping mall and Snowdome.  Will this ever take place?  Apparently the plans will create 1,700 jobs and the work will be completed in 2015.  The Swindon Advertiser says "The developer would refurbish the existing facilities by the end of 2013. An arena and other facilities would then be built on the site, with the snowdome expected to be operational by 2015."

If this happens, and I surely wish it does, it would be the best thing that has happened to Swindon since the Railways.  However there are so many things to consider.  Number one is the poor access to the current Oasis facility.  The duel carriage way 'Great Western Way' is in poor health.  At the moment it can not handle the busy rushes of the morning, lunch and after work commute.  Infrastructure is poor and part of the plan must be to create a new road way to access the land.  This could be impossible.  Snowdomes at Milton Keynes and Manchester have solid road networks in place and parking and land possible to supply thousands of visitors a day.  I struggle to see how the Oasis site could handle this, but we will wait and see.

I hope Swindon gets a Snowdome, the town centre is laking any kind of soul.  The historical buildings that we have like the corn exchange and mechanics are rotting.  Any history and culture needs to be preserved and the council in my opinion have lacked any kind of imagination in decades.  I hope the plans are well thought out and imaginative, otherwise they will be rejected and forgot about and the town will be left with the current relics form the 80's (the Link centre/Oasis).  A whole generation of kids will be kicking about in building 40-50 years old!

The town is in a poor state of health and a Snowdome could breath new life into Swindon, creating jobs, bringing in visitors, attracting new shops and restaurants.  A step closer to a University, etc etc, we've heard it all before.  It is the only way forward. And lets not forget the skiing and boarding, entertaining a whole new generation of Swindonian's.  P.s boys, Please put in and Ice Climbing and rock wall!!

End of Rant,


Peace,


Dan