ACTIVISTS in Oxford celebrated another victory today after bungling council officials failed to evict them from a youth centre at risk of demolition. 

The failure was caused by them taking longer than 48 hours to put the date on the interim possession order (IPO).

Campaigners from Oxford’s Community Solidarity Centre (CSC) told the Morning Star that the city council did not serve the document correctly as “the instructions to the applicant specify that the date and time must be recorded on the form, but these were omitted.”

“Once the order for an IPO has been granted, the landlord [the council] only have 48 hours to correctly serve it before the order expires,” a spokesperson said.

“This order expired [on Thursday] at noon, so the council will have to request a hearing for a new IPO if they seek one.”

Plans to knock down the cherished East Oxford Games Hall were halted after the group occupied the building on Monday.

Oxford City Council previously confirmed a county court granted it and ordered that no demolition work could take place at the site until a final hearing on the council’s right to possession, due on August 8.

A spokesman said: “The Games Hall is an integral part of the East Oxford Community Centre redevelopment, which will provide a community centre with modern flexible spaces that are much more energy efficient, carbon friendly and sustainable in the longer term.

“The project will also provide 12 council homes at the main site in Princes Street and 14 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are spaces that the local area needs much more urgently than a dilapidated building with a high carbon footprint and outdated facilities.”

The council declined to comment on the IPO.