PARKLANDS Leisure Centre in Okehampton is to undergo a major refurbishment, it was announced on Tuesday (September 5).

Fusion Lifestyle, which runs Parklands on behalf of West Devon Borough Council, is kick-starting an £8-million investment in improving five leisure centres across Devon — and Okehampton’s centre will benefit.

The refurbishment, as well as an upgrade to various facilities, will include a new spin studio on the first floor, refurbished dry changing facilities and a new entrance, with a turnstile and new reception.

Cllr Robert Sampson, lead member for commercial services at West Devon Borough Council, said: ‘Fusion are absolutely the best candidates for the job and I know that our leisure provision in West Devon is in the best possible hands. We made a commitment to our residents that we would improve their leisure facilities and I am delighted to see it begin to happen.’

Fusion Lifestyle is the largest independent charity operating community sports, fitness and leisure centres in the country.

Anthony Cawley, operations director, Fusion Lifestyle, said: ‘We have made a commitment to nurture these sports and leisure facilities in Devon, and this includes making a serious investment in their improvement and upkeep. Our plans for all the centres have been designed to improve the experience for our members and the public, providing them with better and bigger facilities.

‘It is a privilege to be involved in the running of these incredibly popular and important sites across Devon, and it is our role to ensure that they continue to serve the community for years to come, whether that’s providing a major new addition to the site, or refurbishing much loved tired facilities.

‘As an independent charity, we invest heavily in creating, restoring and transforming local facilities and we believe communities in Devon will really benefit from what we are proposing.’

The architect’s plans will be on display at Parklands over the coming weeks, so all members can see the planned improvements in more details.