MEADOWLANDS Swimming Pool is set for expansion, to include a gym and other facilities, after a new operator was officially approved by West Devon Borough Council this week.

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

Fusion, which will take over from 1Life, has plans to extend the building to enable a mixed dry and wetside offer, introduce a new 35 station gym facility, construct a multi-purpose group studio space to enable a wider range of fitness provision and extend, refurbish and reconfigure the existing changing areas to enable wet and dry change. It also plans to create a new entrance, lobby and reception area serviced by a new office/admin area, café and/or high quality vending, offering viewing opportunities through into the pool area.

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 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 Lifestyle is a registered charity, which means that all of the money it receives is used to enhance and develop services and facilities.

It was chosen as the preferred provider for West Devon and South Hams following consultations with town councils, community colleges, schools, community sports’ organisations, Active Devon and Sport England.

Now that it has been officially adopted as the new provider, it will take over the service on December 1. The contract will be in operation over a period of 25 years and will deliver a sustainable service with controlled costs and clear community benefit outcomes, achieve reductions and minimise revenue costs and draw in significant investment and development of the leisure centres.

Work on improvements to Meadowlands is expected to begin in November 2017 and be completed by March 2018.