WEST Devon Borough Council's contribution to the Okehampton sports centre project has been increased by £30,000 to cater for inflation and a new addition to the scheme.

Members of the council's strategic development committee voted to raise the borough's funding to £440,000 after they were told the overall cost of the project had risen from £2.8 million to £3.2 million since a bid was submitted to the lottery board in the autumn of 2000.

After a request by local GPs it has been decided to include an electronic platform which alters the depth of the shallow end to make the pool flexible for competitive swimmers doing 'tumble-turns' but also for children, the disabled and elderly swimmers. This will add another £100,000 to the scheme.

Speaking to the committee last week the council's deputy chief executive David Inman said it had been emphasised to the lottery board that there was virtually no flexibility for increased local funding which currently stood at 29 per cent of the total cost and included contributions from Devon County Council, Okehampton Town Council, OCRA and Okehampton College.

'Lottery officials suggest, however, that if the board is to be persuaded to consider most of the inflation and perhaps the electronic platform a slightly increased contribution from the local funder would be advisable,' he said.

Mr Inman said with opportunities to attract further funding for the Okehampton Tourist Information Centre improvement through the extended European 5B programme, it freed up £30,000 of the council's cash, which was recycled money from the Waitrose receipt.

He said he genuinely believed the authority was very close now to succeeding with this project.

'I had a meeting a couple of weeks back with the lottery board and we are very much on the right track,' he said.

'It will be a big boost for the council and for the county to get £2 million of lottery funding for a sports centre in Okehampton.'

Chairman of the strategic development committee Cllr Nick Morgan said a new Okehampton swimming pool and sports centre had been talked about for about six years now. 'I would like to see this one put to bed hopefully within the next year,' he said.

Cllr Jayne Hill from Okehampton said in terms of the electronic platform she supported anything which would give more members of the community access to the pool, but she was concerned about the maintenance costs two years down the line if it jammed up.