THE IMMEDIATE future of Meadowlands Swimming Pool will be discussed at West Devon Borough Council’s meeting next Tuesday (September 22) at 12 noon.

Local residents campaigning for the pool to reopen as soon as possible are urging people to lobby their borough councillors prior to the meeting in order to get a successful outcome.

Some leisure centres in West Devon and South Hams, including Parklands in Okehampton, were reopened last month but Meadowlands has remained closed due to cost implications and because the site is harder to implement social distancing effectively.

Councillors will decide on Tuesday firstly whether to continue with the current contract with Fusion, who run leisure centre in Okehampton and Tavistock on behalf of the council, and if so, whether to mothball both centres, keep open Parklands and continue to mothball Meadowlands or fully reopen Meadowlands and Parklands — at a total cost of £292,000.

The continued closure of the Tavistock facility has led to growing fears over Meadowlands’ future.

Tavistock Swimming Club members held a vigil outside the centre recently as part of a campaign to get it reopened as soon as possible. There has also been an online petition designed to show the strength of feeling over the centre’s continuing closure.