A demonstration will take place this afternoon (June 19) to ‘defend’ a community centre from demolition.

East Oxford Games Hall on Collins Street was due to be demolished today (June 19) but the work has been delayed after the building was occupied by members of the public. 

The occupation has been ongoing since June 2 with over 50 events, including a DJ performance, being held in the building.

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A court hearing for their eviction is due to be held tomorrow (June 20).

East Oxford Games Hall was a publicly owned sports centre that was closed by Oxford City Council in 2020.

The council now plan to turn the site into ‘shared ownership’ flats and the authority has been accused of ‘social vandalism’ by campaigners.

Oxford Mail:

One campaigner said: “Following the closure of Temple Cowley swimming pool and sports centre in 2014 and of the East Oxford Community Centre last year, the demolition of the Games Hall will leave the Cowley Road area without a single community space for years.

“This is completely unacceptable.

"Affordable sporting activity and spaces for collective conviviality are essential to community life and have been proven to be immensely beneficial for mental health and wellbeing.

“That the council should destroy the last of these spaces in the area is a total dereliction of duty and an act of social vandalism.”

Another resident who has been involved in the occupation of the centre said: “The love for this place and the support for our campaign to save it as a community space has been overwhelming.

“Almost every local resident has a story to tell about their involvement with the Games Hall and we have not had a single person express opposition to our presence here or to our message that such spaces are valuable and need protecting.”

Local residents have shared their memories of communities centres in East Oxford.

Postman Tony said: “I don’t think some of these ‘council people’ have ever been to a youth club.

“My experience of going to a youth club when I was 12, 13- it was like a safe haven.

“You come in, you get to know people. It’s needed. Especially when you have both parents working.

“But in the last 13 or 14 years, so many of these places have closed.

He continued: “The council always say that they can’t find the money, but the consequence is that you always pay more in the end when these places are destroyed.

“You end up with kids walking around, nothing to do.”

Oxford City Council has said they oppose the occupation of the games hall.

A council spokesman said: "We oppose the ill-conceived occupation of East Oxford Games Hall, which will threaten delay and increase costs to a vital project to deliver better community space and more affordable housing in this popular area.

"It is part of the  East Oxford Community Centre redevelopment that will provide a community centre that has modern flexible spaces that are much more energy efficient, carbon friendly and sustainable in the longer term, plus twelve council homes at the main site in Princes Street and fourteen shared ownership homes on the games hall site in Collins Street.

"These are spaces that the local area needs much more urgently than a dilapidated building with a high carbon footprint and outdated facilities.

"We urge the protestors to leave the games hall voluntarily, but will take enforcement action if needed.

"Oxford is one of the most unaffordable places for housing in the UK, and we are investing in hundreds more council and shared ownership homes to tackle the problem.

"Council rent is typically around 40 per cent of private rentals, and shared ownership helps people like key workers, first-time buyers and under-40s onto the property ladder in a city they would otherwise be priced out of.

"This investment project is a rare opportunity to provide those homes in east Oxford, and to upgrade the community facilities to be modern, sustainable and adaptable for many years to come."