The Tarka Leisure Centre in North Devon, which reopened in June after a £15m revamp, welcomed 33,800 visitors in August – up 43 per cent from the previous year. Participation in July had increased by 33 per cent from the same month in 2021, showing an accelerating trend.

The investment transformed the town’s existing leisure facilities into one to create the new centre which features a 100-station gym with kit from a range of companies, including Life Fitness, Octane, SciFit and Wattbike.

The centre also has two swimming pools (including a 25m eight-lane competition pool), outdoor 3G pitches, a large sports hall, an endless ski slope, a revitalised tennis centre and a cafe. An outdoor play area and indoor soft play zone has been created for children.

The building is owned by North Devon council and operated by Lex Leisure, which is part of Parkwood Leisure.

“The aim when designing Tarka Leisure Centre was to offer something for everyone; whatever age, interest, or ability,” said Glen Hall, MD of Parkwood Leisure. “We wanted the centre to be at the heart of its community and help as many people as possible get active. The feedback so far has been fantastic, and we’re confident our reach within Barnstaple and the surrounding areas will only grow as more people experience all that Tarka Leisure Centre has to offer.”

Leader of North Devon Council, councillor David Worden, added: “I'm thrilled by the news that participation levels have increased by 33 per cent in July 2022 in comparison with July 2021, and by 43 per cent in August 2022 in comparison with the same month last year.

“This is a huge growth in participation since Tarka Leisure Centre opened and I’m really pleased that residents of North Devon are getting active and making the most of the new facility.”

Parkwood Leisure first launched in 1995 as Glendale Leisure, but twenty years ago it became Parkwood Leisure. The company manages more than 90 sites in over 30 local authorities across England and Wales and trades under a number of names, including Lex Leisure and Legacy Leisure, in addition to Parkwood Leisure.