BALCONY PROJECT
DECEMBER 2025 TO FEBRUARY 2026
Members are invited to a meeting at the clubhouse at 7pm on Thursday, 20th November to hear plans for the replacement of the balcony. We will provide a Teams or Zoom link for those unable to attend in person.
Representatives from the balcony construction and fund raising sub committees will be present and there will be an opportunity for questions.
In the meantime, the balcony sub committee has compiled more information for members in the form of questions and answers that we hope will be informative:
Will the contractor be working all weekend?
Saturday mornings only.
If the contractor is not working on a Saturday afternoon and on Sunday, why will we not be able to access the boathouse?
The contractor will follow health and safety rules to the letter and will not compromise these. The contractor and the directors of LRC are legally liable for any breaches of regulations which could result in our and the contractor’s prosecution. We are discussing access for boating at certain points in the build but we can't promise that this will be possible.
Will the Club help to provide racking elsewhere?
Yes. We are looking into alternative racking at other clubs and trailers on the hard.
Will TopRow continue to boat?
Yes. We are discussing racking with Toprow to see if LRC can use any racking they don't need.
Why can we not use the Top Row racks?
As above.
Will we get a reduction in our membership fee if we are unable to boat?
Our aim is to pay for the balcony through our fundraising campaign and we have not planned to refund members for the period when access to the boat bays is not possible. We ask for your understanding that this is an essential one in a 100 year project and the build period is relatively short. We are looking into some alternative racking for this period to enable some boating.
Is there a possibility of reallocating some of the racks in the sculling shed so that boats that are rarely used are locked in the boat house and others who boat regularly are able to store their boats in there?
We are looking at this.
Might we ask scullers who have racks in the sculling shed to voluntarily give them up for the period so that others can use them?
We are looking at this.
Is it possible to store my sculling boat in a rack in the gym?
No. The gym is not for boat storage and will be used during this period. We also have to consider external users who have a contract to use it.
In the gap over Christmas between demolition and the rebuilding works starting, when builders usually shut down, can the Club be open for outings?
Having demolished the existing balcony and supported the arches over the doors there will be no way of opening the doors. The props are needed to support the arches until we can undertake the necessary repairs to them so cannot be removed.
Can we store boats in the workshop and use them?
The workshop will be used for contractors materials so this will not be possible.
Will the Long Room remain usable throughout the project?
Yes, the doors to the balcony will be boarded up.
Can we use the Club trailer to store fours and quads outside?
Our brokers are to confirm insurance cover.
Might we rent another club’s trailer to enable us to store boats outside?
We are looking at this.
I would like to race in the Quintin and Hammersmith Heads and know that there is always a squeeze on boat availability. Will we be able to get access to the boathouse in order to participate in these events?
Access to the boat bays at this time is unlikely. We are looking at options to rack boats in other locations.
Can I use the lack of access to the boathouse as an excuse for not going out when it is really cold during the winter whilst still appearing keen?
Yes!
