PROPOSALS to make Meadowlands in Tavistock a flagship project in £8-million plans to upgrade leisure centres in Devon were announced this week.

Fusion Lifestyle, which runs Meadowlands Leisure Centre, on behalf of West Devon Borough Council, is making a large investment to improve five leisure centres across Devon — with Tavistock taking the most extensive upgrade.

Subject to planning permission the centre will be extended to create a new customer entrance and reception, dry change facilities, fitness studio, gym and café, featuring a terraced outdoor seating area overlooking the park, and fully refurbished poolside changing rooms and toilets, including accessible toilets.

The work is expected to start at the end of 2017 and take approximately nine months to complete.

Cllr Robert Sampson, lead member for commercial services at West Devon Borough Council, said: ‘Fusion is absolutely the best candidate 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 for 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 improvement plans are now on display at Meadowlands until September 15. During this time, members of the public can view the drawings and provide feedback on the proposed changes before Fusion Lifestyle applies for planning permission.