RTPI Planning Awards 2009

27-Jan-10

Dorney Rowing Lake, Eton - Capita Lovejoy

Arts, Culture and Sport Award Winner

Summary

The opening of Dorney Rowing Lake was the culmination of decades of planning and development by Eton College.

Background

Eton College had a strong tradition in rowing but increasing tourist traffic on the River Thames was seriously impeding the College’s rowing activities. A new purpose designed rowing lake was required. However the spatial requirements were very specific. The location needed to be close to Windsor, an area wholly within the metropolitan greenbelt, the Thames floodplain and the Thames Valley area of attractive landscape. As a consequence, the options were limited and several conflicts with planning policy needed to be resolved.

Project Description

The site comprises 400 acres of open land on the northern bank of the Thames west of Windsor. It comprises a flat area originally in agricultural use that had been designated as set aside for many years. Apart from small remnants of former field boundary hedges, the site was barren and lacking vegetation other than that along the river tow path. The estimated capital cost of approximately £17million was significant. However, subject to planning permission, it was possible to off-set most of these costs by extracting the gravel which had to be removed to create the rowing course. Capita Lovejoy was appointed to design and develop the site in 1992. As a result of undertakings entered into at the public inquiry the College embarked on an open and inclusive approach to detailed development of the site. The rowing lake covers 90 acres of the site including the main lake 2,200metres long, a parallel warm up channel and return lake. The water is fed from underground aquifers, percolating through the gravel, with natural methods being used to control weeds.

Planning Achievement

• From the outset, Dorney Rowing Lake was designed to international standards and as a place of excellence. It will be the location for the rowing and flat water canoeing events in the London Olympic and Paralympics Games 2012. Additional works were required for this, including a new bridge and access point to the return lake, which attracted grants from Sport England, UK Sport, the Regional Development Agency and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport;
• The landscaping provides an extremely attractive setting for the facility, retaining the openness of the site and enhancing the metropolitan greenbelt. This has been achieved by the planting of an 80 acre park and arboretum with approximately 30,000 native and specimen trees to the north of the lake and a 100acre nature conservation area including wetlands and wildflower areas adjacent to the Thames;
• Gentle contouring of the land ensured that any flood waters would not be impeded and yet was sympathetic with the generally flat nature of the landscape setting. Ecological consultants and archaeologists were employed throughout to advise on landscape including new tree planting on bunds covering archaeological finds;
• The extraction and transport of gravel presented problems that required mitigation measures including a new bridge over the Thames with a conveyor to carry gravel to a storage area south of the river. Although the conveyor was temporary, the bridge is permanent and now provides a footpath and SUSTRANS route;

• There is considerable public use of all the facilities. Footpaths and bridleways have been realigned and there is free car parking for towpath users who previously parked on verges and nearby villages. The parkland and the nature conservation area are used as an educational resource by local schools, and specialist wildlife groups as well as Eton College, and a visitor information centre is manned by local volunteers;
• The rowing lake is used by over 100 schools and clubs and over 2000 children and young people have taken rowing tuition under the junior rowing initiative.

Representatives from Capita Lovejoy receiving their award for Arts, Culture and Sport from Ann Skippers, President of the RTPI, and awards host Justin Webb.

Key Participants

Capita Lovejoy, Dorney Lake Services Ltd, Enviros Aspinwall, Hankinson Duckett Associates and Herbert Stribling and Partners.