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There’s an issue with the file and folder permissions on your server. For some reason the user that WP runs under does not have read/write permissions for those resources. This is unusual since this user is normally the owner for the folders and files, so should have read/write permission.

Use FTP or your hosting file manager to check folder and file permissions in /wp-content/plugins/. Normally they are 755 for folders and 644 for files. If the WP user for some reason is not the file/folder owner, it’ll hopefully at least be a group member and 775 or 664 permissions should allow updates. Note that allowing group write permission does diminish security. It’d be better to make all WP folders and files owned by the WP user. It’s unlikely you would be able to change ownership yourself, you likely would need your host’s assistance to correct the situation.

Thank you very much @bcworkz . This is very strange; I’ve had this website for 10 years, and nobody else has access to the CP except me! Occasionally I give access to a web developer who helps me, but he never changes the permissions (I wouldn’t pay him if he did!). Forgive me for being stupid, but how do I actually get to /wp-content/plugins/ ?
Many thanks

You are not stupid, naive perhaps. We’ll skip over the FTP option since it can be a little esoteric. We can use your host’s file manager app. Login to your hosting account. The next steps are variable by host. If you encounter difficulty, try searching your host’s knowledge base or help area for guidance. The file manager you want is usually accessed through the control panel. Look around in your account for such a link or something for managing your site.

With some hosts there is not a traditional control panel, but there should be some way to manage files on your server. That’s what you need. While the specifics vary, a server file manager works much like your computer’s file manager or explorer. Find where WP is installed, often under /public_html/ but YMMV. It’s the folder that has /wp-admin/, /wp-content/, and /wp-includes/ sub-folders. Open /wp-content/, then /plugins/.

From /plugins/ you can verify folder permissions, or open a folder and verify file permissions. Unfortunately exactly how varies by host. The 755 and 644 numbers represent binary bit settings for read. write, execute permissions for owner, group, or any user. You might see permissions as drwx -rx -rx or similar, but there’s usually a way to enter the numeric representation when you need to alter permissions.

Thank you. I’ll try and attempt this!