TONE Leisure, which runs four council owned leisure centres in the South Hams is joining forces with the largest leisure operator of its kind in the country.

Tone will soon have to face applying for the job of operating the leisure centres at Ivybridge, Totnes Kingsbridge and Dartmouth as part of a major South Hams Council review of all its leisure services.

Now the Taunton based leisure operator has announced it is joining with GLL – the largest UK-based charitable social enterprise delivering leisure, health and community services.

The tendering process to sort out who will run the South Hams and West Devon leisure centres is due to begin in September. Juliette Dickinson, managing director of Tone Leisure, said: 'We had to up our game. The market in which we work is fully aware of the pressures on local councils to respond to improvements in efficiencies and value for money and Tone has responded accordingly.

'Over time, visitors to the leisure centres will see the benefit of being part of a large and ambitious group, through new equipment and facilities and greater variety of activity options, as a clear advantage from this important move for leisure locally.'

The link-up between the two leisure groups was described as joining forces in a move that 'strengthens Tone's position and adds to the geographical coverage for GLL'.

GLL currently operate over 170 public sport and leisure centres and 28 libraries (including three prison libraries) in partnership with local councils, public agencies and sporting organisations.

Tone operates leisure facilities in Taunton Deane, South Hams and North Somerset.

The South Hams Council review of its leisure centres has been instigated by the fact that the council's leisure management contract with Tone Leisure runs out on November 30, 2016.

A statement from Tone added: 'Tone Leisure's members and users will find that the same high quality services and provision will continue unchanged for the time being. Tone's aim in creating this link is to help the local leisure provision to grow, add financial strength and adapt in a positive way to changes in the leisure market.'