THE new £4.2-million Parklands Leisure Centre in Okehampton will finally open its doors to the public later this month.
The multi-million pound facility with a swimming pool, sports hall and fitness suite in Simmons Park will be officially opened on Saturday, October 23.
West Devon mayor Cllr Christine Grills will be joined by two schoolchildren from the town to cut the celebratory ribbon to the new building, which has taken just over 16 months to complete.
Parklands is the largest project ever undertaken by West Devon Borough Council and has been partially financed by a £3.2-million grant from the Sports Lottery. The grant is the second largest ever awarded to the region.
Facilities include a four-lane, 25m swimming pool with a moveable floor, a four-court sports hall, 35-station fitness suite, aerobics studio, crèche and function room.
It is set on the edge of the picturesque Simmons Park and next year four all-weather tennis courts will be built nearby.
The project has been on the drawing board for about ten years and Cllr Nick Morgan, chairman of the Council?s economic, leisure and community development committee said he was delighted with the finished result.
He said: ?The sports complex is magnificent and the setting in Simmons Park is simply superb. We are really proud of this project and I think that the centre will be used by people from across the South West.
?We are indebted to a lot of people, and partnership has been key to achieving this.?
Jonathan Calderbank, of Sport England, said: ?West Devon have done really well. It just goes to show what can result from determination and vision enjoined with grant funding. I think the centre is important both locally and regionally as Okehampton is at the very centre of the South West Peninsula.?
The borough council is paying £480,000 towards the project, along with contributions from Okehampton Town Council, Devon County Council, Okehampton College, the Mid Devon Primary Care Trust, OCRA and the local tennis and swimming clubs.
As the new centre prepares to open, Leisure Connection, the management company which will be operating the facilities in Okehampton and Tavistock, is offering local people the chance to benefit from free first class leisure training.
Those who are interested in working within the leisure industry can sign up for the training which will award them Continual Professional Development credits and boost their CVs.
The training will cover the most up to date trends in the leisure industry as well as offering practical ideas for leading swimming sessions safely, working with young people and those with disabilities and organising hassle-free children?s birthday parties.
Rob Whitehead, business manager at Parklands Leisure Centre, said: ?Leisure Connection is certainly proving it is committed to serving and supporting the community.?
For more information about the courses or enquiries about working at Parklands Leisure Centre and Meadowlands Swimming Pool please contact Rob Whitehead on 01822 617774.