RESIDENTS have 'overwhelmingly' backed proposals for a new leisure centre, the council planning it has said.

Vale of White Horse District Council revealed this week that more than 600 people responded to its consultation about building the new facility for Wantage and Grove and of those, 84 per cent 'backed the proposal to build a new centre'.

It also revealed that 70 per cent agreed Mably Way was a suitable location.

However the Conservative Vale cabinet have still not answered a question from councillor Joyce Hutchinson about why the centre seems to be – relatively – so small.

She put it to the cabinet, on October 11, that when Abingdon's White Horse Tennis and Leisure Centre was built in 2011, the population was 36,000 and the centre was built with 8,892sq m of facilities.

However, she went on, the current housing planned for Wantage and Grove is due to bring the population to 34,000 in the next 15 years, but the new leisure centre being planned is just 4,646sq m.

The cabinet did not answer her question, saying it would send her a written response, but Mrs Hutchinson said yesterday she had still not received any reply.

In the meantime, following the 'strong support locally' for the centre plans, the Vale confirmed that it will move forward with the current £18.8m plans, with the aim of opening the new centre in 2020.