Games Hall Testimonials.
Please spare some time to listen through some comments made by individuals who made use of the East Oxford Games Hall as a community hub.
A community-led alternative plan has been raised to protect and provide space in East Oxford (Cowley).
East Oxford Games Hall: scheduled for demolition by Oxford City Council as part of a sell-off to refurbish East Oxford Community Centre (EOCC) in a planning application costing ~£4m.
Oxford Council Proposal to Demolish Community Center
In 2016, Oxford Council proposed the demolition of 5 Collins Street, also known as the games hall, following a consultation attended by 148 individuals.
This community center, which was originally constructed in 1973 and refurbished in 1998, served as a valuable space for various sports and youth organizations until the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.
Due to covid-19 public safety policy, the games hall had to be closed, preventing its continued public use through restrictions on group meetings.
In response, the council progressed their plans to sell-off the games hall facilities to fund the EOCC redevelopment during the year 2020. This saw consultation held December 2020 when the pandemic lockdowns prevented social gatherings outside of households.
The main outcome of this planning application is the destruction of the games hall, thereby removing a cherished community space. The council intends to repurpose the site for shared-ownership housing in Cowley - we are defending community space that must be provided alongside affordable housing.
* The Games hall is first mentioned in the ‘East Oxford Community Centre Concise Feasibility Study’ development plans for community centres in Oxford. City Council presents ideas for a £2million refurbishment of the East Oxford Community Centre | Oxford City Council (August 2016)
East Oxford Community Centre consultation results published | Oxford City Council (November 2016)