Knight, Kavanagh & Page (KKP) has been appointed by the University of Leeds (UoL) to assess the feasibility of provision of a boathouse for the University.

The University recently reviewed of its sporting facility provision as part of a wider strategic appraisal for sport. It identified the development of rowing provision in the City as a key priority to reduce reliance on rowing facilities at York and to enable it to compete with other civic universities with strong rowing traditions.

A working group of interested parties within the University, has articulated a vision for a two-stage facility development; phase 1 of which is the development of a training facility at Clarence Dock. KKP will provide the University with sufficient information to make a decision on the possible construction of a boathouse on this halls of residence site. This work will:

• Assess the needs (and potential) of the University Rowing Club.
• Establish, via consultation with a variety of stakeholders, the viability of developing a boathouse and using the River Aire for squad training.
• Provide several design options for the potential development.
• Identify the likely cost of the development and possible funding opportunities available to the University.

KKP is a leading authority on sports development across the University sector, applying its wealth of expertise from across the wider sports sector to meet the specific needs of higher education. Over recent years the team has provided a range of consultancy support to universities across the Country, including:

• Producing a comprehensive review of sports services as part of the merger of Manchester University and UMIST.
• Developing 3-5 year sports strategy for the University of Sussex and 
• Conducting feasibility studies for new sports facilities for several universities including Birmingham and Northampton

For further details, please contact David McHendry, Principal Consultant,
Email: david.mchendry@kkp.co.uk