Overall cost of Mount Batten Centre upgrade now hits £5.2m
06:00, 19 Jan 2026Updated 08:39, 19 Jan 2026
Work being carried out to upgrade Plymouth’s Mount Batten Watersports and Activities Centre(Image: Submitted)
Plymouth City Council has borrowed nearly £1m to plough into the redevelopment of Plymouth’s Mount Batten Watersports and Activities Centre.
The authority said it was extending the upgrade of the waterside facilities, with a new kitchen and windows, bringing the overall cost to more than £5.2m.
Last March, when work started, the cost of transforming the Mount Batten peninsula was put at £4m.
In September, council finance chief Cllr Mark Lowry said he was comfortable with the authority’s debt pile as it headed towards £1bn.
The council said the transformation of the Mount Batten Watersports and Activities Centre is due to be completed in the spring, with the centre “set to play a key role in delivering inclusive, water-based activities for the city, especially for underserved communities, for years to come”.
It said the project is expanding to include a new glazed café front and a fully upgraded kitchen, so it could become a year-round destination.
Work being carried out inside Plymouth’s Mount Batten Watersports and Activities Centre(Image: Submitted)
It said additional funding for the project includes £908,000 from corporate borrowing, alongside £190,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
A spokesperson said: “The total investment in the Mount Batten main works now stands at just over £5.2m.”
The Mount Batten Centre is described by the council as a key part of the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park (PSNMP) programme, aimed at connecting more people to the ocean and celebrating the city’s maritime heritage.
Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the works already progressing on site include opening up the reception area, creating a new ground floor café with direct access to outdoor seating, and designing new changing facilities to meet Sport England and Changing Places standards.
But the council said that as the project has evolved, so too has the ambition and the extra funding means the café will now feature “a stunning glazed wall to bring the outside in”.
And the kitchen is also being fully refurbished to support “a high-quality food and drink offer, ensuring the café can thrive as a destination in its own right”.
Construction under way at Plymouth’s Mount Batten Watersports and Activities Centre(Image: Submitted)
Cllr Jemima Laing, the Labour-controlled council’s deputy leader, said: “This is about making sure we don’t just build something new – we build something brilliant.
“The Mount Batten Centre is a cornerstone of our waterfront and a vital part of the National Marine Park.
“These enhancements will help it reach its full potential, drawing in more visitors, supporting local jobs, and creating a space that everyone in Plymouth can be proud of.”
Richard Stevens, chair of the Mount Batten Centre Charity Trust, said: “We want our café to be the ‘go to’ place for friends, families, businesses, clubs, groups and individuals to enjoy all year round.
“We’re really excited to see these enhancements included as part of the wider programme of works for the Mount Batten Centre.”
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