CALLS to save an Oxford Stadium youth dance group from the bulldozer have won the support of city councillors.

Councillors this week backed a 1,552-signature petition from Dance Connection, for youngsters aged up to 18.

Among those who signed the petition was resident choreographer at the Royal Ballet Wayne McGregor CBE, who wrote: “Dance provides unrivalled health benefits as well as promoting a total community wellbeing.”

Studio owner Sam Clifton said at Oxford Town Hall on Monday that the 20-year-old group, which uses R&R Frontline Studios, has 350 youngsters on its roll.

No other county venue could take the “unique facility” she said, adding: “Surely the fact that this facility exists in Oxford is a huge benefit.”

Galliard Homes has applied to the Labour-run authority to flatten the former greyhound stadium for 220 homes, 35 per cent of them affordable.

But councillors from all parties oppose the move, saying the Sandy Lane site in Blackbird Leys is in council policies for leisure use only.

Other business are based at the Stadium, including KArtin Oxford and Lightning Motorcycle Training.

Its manager William Rodwell said it too could not leave as the stadium is needed to meet training regulations.

He said: “It is providing a service to the people of Oxford. It is enhancing the value of Blackbird Leys as a community.”

He called on the council to delay its decision on demolition to give firms time to draw up a business plan for the site’s future.

And he called on it to use a compulsory purchase order (CPO) to force its sale and for the council to be a partner in its future.

A motion from council leader Bob Price was passed. It said: “The petition provides a strong endorsement of the city council’s planning policy which retains the stadium site for leisure provision and does not identify it as suitable for housing.”

The site is not listed in the council’s sites and housing plan.

Mr Price said: “We will use the powers we have as a local authority to prevent demolition.”

The council is legally obliged to make a decision within eight weeks – expected in June – of the planning application going in, he said.

And he said a CPO should be considered “further down the line” as he wants owner the Greyhound Racing Association, which has yet to comment, to keep it for leisure. Greyhound racing finished in December.

And he said he would be “very surprised” if the developer won on appeal.