New leisure centre design is slammed (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

New leisure centre design is slammed

CIRENCESTER'S planned £5-million leisure centre has been derided as an 'abysmal' piece of architecture that will ruin a major gateway to the historic town.

Cirencester Civic Society has also pulled no punches in its judgement of plans for the new St James' Place headquarters.

The building, it says, would be more suited to Slough than the capital of the Cotswolds.

The organisation, which campaigns to preserve Cirencester's heritage, is to officially object to the plans.

In a letter to the Standard, the society's chairman, Jim Thompson, says the proposals are 'ill considered' and amount to an 'assault on the environment'.

The society has also accused Cotswold District Council, which is developing the site jointly with St James' Place, of trying to shield the plans from public scrutiny because they are so bad.

The plans were released for public consultation over the Christmas period, and the deadline for comments is January 7.

Mr Thompson said: "I think this was part of their strategy. "They should have waited until after Christmas. "We're unhappy with the lack of public consultation."

Mr Thompson is also angry because the application does not contain a model or artist's impression of what the buildings will look like.

Instead, it consists of technical drawings accompanied by a weighty information document.

"If they had included a model it would have shown it up to be a load of rubbish," said Mr Thompson.

"A huge scheme like this can't go through with drawings no one can understand."

But CDC spokesman Claire McGine said the architects were planning to produce models and visuals for public display later this month. And she added that although January 7 is the end of the statutory consultation period, comments would be accepted until the day before the application is considered.

It is due to come before the council's planning committee for discussion on February 26.

Because CDC is one of the applicants, it will be decided by a meeting of the full council.

She added: "The plans have not been rushed through and they will have the proper consultation.

"The reason the plans are going through now is because it was hoped that they would be dealt with by this council, the life of which comes to an end in May. "It hasn't been put in early or late."

She was unable to comment on the designs, but said: "Any comments made will be taken into account by members when discussing the application."

Mrs McGine added that from February, members of the public will be allowed to address planning meetings and comment on applications.

Mr Thompson believes the proposals don't fit in with the character of Cirencester.

"The plans are for such an important site, but they are so thoughtless and crass," he said.

"For many people, this will be the first thing they see when they come to Cirencester.

"If I were a first time visitor and I saw that as I came in on the ring-road I would go on to Swindon." He said the swimming pool will overlook the ring road, while people using the cafe will look out across a car park.

The leisure centre is too bulky, he said, while the office block contains too much steel and glass and has too many flat roofs.

"I can't understand why St James' Place would want to operate from such a building," he said.

Sonia Harris, executive director at St James' Place, defended the plans. She said: "We wanted a building that reflected our company's values and that tied in with the town centre.

"That is what our architects aimed to do and they have used materials they think will do that.

"The drawings do not do the buildings justice, but we will produce models and better visuals in January, and I hope they will make people feel a lot more comfortable."

Under the plans, St James' Place, will buy the Cotswold Leisure Centre site from CDC and build a new headquarters in its place.

A new leisure centre will be built on the site of the livestock market. The old centre will remain open until the new one is completed in the summer of 2004.

Work will then start on the office block, which could be completed by the end of 2005.

The new leisure centre will have a 25-metre swimming pool, a learner pool, spa bath, steam room, sauna and sun bed facilities.

There will also be three squash courts, a fitness suite, creche, sports hall and a dance studio.

When it was known as J Rothschild Assurance, St James' Place failed to get planning permission to build a new headquarters at Cirencester Rugby Club.