PARKLANDS Leisure Centre in Okehampton is to have a new small spin class studio and will be completely redecorated, after a new operator was officially approved by West Devon Borough Council last week.

Fusion Lifestyle was chosen as the preferred operator for the West Devon Borough Council-owned centre earlier this month but was officially approved at a meeting of the full council last week.

Fusion, which will take over from 1Life, has plans to redecorate and rebrand the building throughout and convert the first floor area to create a new small spin class studio.

Parklands is in the best condition of all the area’s centres.

West Devon Borough Council’s Lead Member for Commercial Services, Cllr Robert Sampson said: ‘We are really delighted to see Fusion confirmed as our new leisure operator.

‘By selecting them we are making a commitment to increase and improve access to health and wellbeing facilities both at Meadowlands in Tavistock and in Parklands in Okehampton, with most of the improvements carried out in centres across South Hams and West Devon by 2019.

‘Fusion has sports and community development at the core of its charitable objectives, to increase participation and levels of physical activity for the local communities it serves.’

Fusion’s successful bid includes proposals for a capital investment in all of the centres that they will operate.

This includes Parklands, Meadowlands Pool in Tavistock and three centres in the South Hams.

The existing operator’s contract terminates at the end of November 2016 and the new contract with Fusion will start on December 1, 2016. 

At Parklands, improvements are planned to begin in June 2017 and be complete by September 2017.