PLANS are taking shape to create a £400,000 multi-sports centre at Weir Quay, providing a focus for all watersport activity and encouraging more people to take up sport.

The newly formed 'Weir Quay Community Watersports Hub Club' is currently negotiating the purchase of a site after extensive consultation with landowners, groups with an interest in Weir Quay and the Tamar Valley AONB.

The group is optimistic it can deliver its ambitious plan over the next two years, depending on funding.

Committee member Mike Street said the public hard at Weir Quay was the only access to the River Tamar on the Devon bank. The plan was to develop a first class facility close to the hard that would be available to everyone in West Devon who wished to use the river for any sort of recreation.

'There will be a clubhouse with changing rooms, showers, meeting room, drying room, kitchen and bar and storage facilities for all the boats and equipment.

'We envisage that the new centre will also be readily available for non-watersports enthusiasts like artists, birdwatchers and local history groups and we would like school groups to come and use the facilities.'

Mr Street said Weir Quay was a very sensitive area, a site of special scientific interest and within the world heritage area and so it was vitally important the building was appropriate.

'We have an architect working on the design at the moment but the building will not be huge,' he said. 'It will be relatively small and low key and will be in keeping with its location.'

There are currently around 350 members in Weir Quay Sailing Club and the Tamar and Tavy Gig Club but no clubhouse and only limited storage facilities.

A development group was formed early last year, bringing together the sports clubs, local councils and Friends of Weir Quay to try and find a way forward.

Mr Street said once land was secured, the next step was to put in a planning application and, providing it was successful, raise the money needed.

'We will be looking for funding from the lottery and Sport England and other large funding bodies. We hope to start the first phase of the development work in early 2011.

'The intention is that the hub club will become the "mother club" for all individual members and for a variety of organisations that become affiliated to it.'

He said the reaction locally was one of cautious support because of the sensitivity of the area but he did not foresee a large increase in traffic.

'There will be fewer boats being towed down here because people will be able to store them here and groups will use the centre at different times so there will not be huge numbers coming at any one time.'.

Anyone interested in learning more about the project can contact Mike Street on 01822 841339.