Rowing club gets green light for boathouse

Henley-on-Thames architect Spratley & Partners has been given planning by Oxford city council for a boathouse for Headington School in Oxford.

The two-storey boathouse at Long Wittenham, near Didcot, will run across 645sq m and will provide facilities for accommodation, storage and preparation for the Headington School Oxford Boat Club, one of the country’s top rowing clubs.

The girls’ school, where fees are approaching nearly £40,000 a year, has produced more than 100 rowers who have competed for Great Britain over the years.

The club has never owned its own boathouse or had direct access to the River Thames.

The 8 acre site will provide it with 300m of river frontage and includes boat racks, changing facilities, a training room and a wet dock.

Other firms working on the scheme include drainage and flooding consultant Peter Breet and transport consultant David Tucker Associates.