THE first community group to make Oxford Stadium their home has moved out because of the stadium’s uncertain future.

Street dance school Messy Jam traded the home of Oxford’s greyhound racing for a new base in Blackbird Leys on Saturday.

The stadium was closed in December by operator the Greyhound Racing Association despite outcry from the community.

But community groups who use the building have still been operating on the site.

Plans to build 220 homes on the site of the stadium have been submitted to Oxford City Council by developers Galliard Homes.

More than 400 letters of objection have been written to the council against the plans.

But Messy Jam’s owner Ellisha Peart said: “We don’t know if we are coming or going at the stadium.

“There is a lot of talk around that it might stay or it might go and nobody seems to tell us anything.

“We actually found out from one of the dancers the stadium was actually closing.

“We don’t know if someone is going to buy it, there is just so much uncertainty it doesn’t feel like home.”

The dance group of 150 kids from four years old is moving to Jubilee Hall in Sorrell Road.

They said they were the first people to move into the stadium to use it as community space and scrubbed and cleaned the rooms to bring them up to the standard they are now.

Messy Jam moved from Barton to the stadium in March 2008.

They were joined at the stadium by a taekwondo club, two church groups and another dance group Dance Connections who use the space.

Miss Peart added: “We have to start again now doing the scrubbing and cleaning and getting the space ready as a dance studio.

“We very much want the stadium to stay, we don’t want homes built on the site – but we couldn’t stay there anymore.”

Miss Peart said the children would be sad to move but the group would move on and set up again elsewhere.

One parent said: “Some of them are gutted, they loved it there and will be sad to move but it just wasn’t the same.

“They are great kids, mostly from Blackbird Leys and Barton and some of them have had really tough lives. They need more security and stability which wasn’t happening at the stadium.

“After the greyhound racing closed as well the site is just so quiet.”

The list of those opposed to demolition of the site has grown every week since it was closed in December by operator the Greyhound Racing Association.

MP for Oxford East Andrew Smith said: “I think it is terrible that the development plans cast this shadow on the future of the stadium. I have seen Messy Jam perform and they are brilliant.

“I am glad they are staying in Blackbird Leys, the important thing is keeping activities like that going.

“It does underlie how much better things will be when the future of the stadium is secure.”

No-one from Galliard Homes was available for comment last night.

Oxford City Council will make a decision by June 12.