PROPOSALS for an exciting new £400,000 watersports centre at Weir Quay will be put to the public during two open forum events this weekend.

The Weir Quay Community Watersports Hub Club was formed in the summer, with the aim of providing a new base for the Tamar and Tavy Gig Club and Weir Quay Sailing Club.

The Hub Club is currently raising funds to buy land close to the public hard at Weir Quay, on which the clubhouse will be built. Due to the sensitivity of the site, there have been extensive consultations with statutory and non-statutory bodies, including the AONB, Natural England, the Environment Agency and West Devon Borough Council, regarding the plans.

The club has already been given grants of £2,000 from the AONB and £2,000 from West Devon Borough Council as start-up funds.

Hub Club secretary Mike Street said the committee was very appreciative of such support. He said the group was keen to keep the community fully informed with the progress of the project, which was why the open forum sessions, to be held in Bere Alston Parish Hall, were being staged.

The first will be on Saturday, between 2pm and 4pm, and the second is on Monday, between 5.30pm and 8pm.

The need to establish a new base for watersports at Weir Quay arose from the loss of the gig club and sailing clubs' former clubhouse in January 2009.

Following this a development group was formed with the objective of finding the clubs a new home. The group is made up of representatives of the sailing club, the gig club, West Devon Borough Council, Bere Ferrers Parish Council and the Friends of Weir Quay, and these now form the Hub Club committee, having adopted its constitution in June this year.

Mr Street said: 'The committee's aim now is to establish the Hub Club as a not-for-profit limited company and registered charity and then to create a new multi–activity community watersports centre, with all the necessary clubhouse and boat-park facilities, to be managed by volunteers from the local community.

'Outline plans for the site and a small clubhouse have been produced and the next important step will be the submission of the planning application.'

Full details of the proposal and the Hub Club concept will be available at the open public meeting, where visitors will be able to talk to members of the committee, the sailing club and the gig club about the plans and the future of watersports at Weir Quay.

The new clubhouse would also be available for non-watersports enthusiasts, such as bird waters, artists and photographers, who value the area for its beauty, peace and wildlife.

Mr Street said the club hoped to have completed the purchase of the site by spring next year — construction of the clubhouse would be dependent on funding and the club will be applying to the Big Lottery fund and Sport England for grants.

'We hope we will be able to make a start by next summer,' said Mr Street. 'We have a very nice design which makes good use of the site and the members of the clubs have been very supportive and enthusiastic about them.'