Rowing leaders have protested against plans by Uber Boats to build a new pier at Putney ©Getty Images

Leading figures in British rowing, including Olympians and Paralympians, claim a proposed new pier at Putney for Uber Boats will interfere with local clubs and rowers' safety and adversely affect all competitions on the Boat Race course.

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers wants to build a new pier next to Putney Bridge to expand its services.

Application documents say the existing pier is "unsuitable" for passengers while the proposal would "improve accessibility" and support the service expanding without impacting local facilities or transport routes.

Uber Boats currently stop at 24 piers along the River Thames from Barking Riverside Pier to Putney Pier, mylondon.news reports.

The RB6 route, which stops at the Wandsworth and Putney piers, only operates during the mornings and evenings on weekdays.

A petition to extend the service to Wandsworth and Putney piers on the weekends has gained more than 1,485 signatures.

But rowing leaders have written to Wandsworth Council expressing with fears the new pier will "interfere" with the Tideway - home to the Oxford-Cambridge University Boat Race and annual Heads of the River races which involves hundreds of rowers from elite performers to newcomers.

Mark Davies, chair of British Rowing, said the pier could spell "the end of racing between Putney and Mortlake".

A proposed plan by Uber Boats to build a new pier at Putney will adversely affect all training and racing on the Tideway course, including the annual University Boat Race, rowing leaders claim ©Getty Images
A proposed plan by Uber Boats to build a new pier at Putney will adversely affect all training and racing on the Tideway course, including the annual University Boat Race, rowing leaders claim ©Getty Images

Alastair Marks, chief executive of British Rowing, called the proposal "the latest in a seemingly endless series of applications which threatens the most important and longest-established rowing course in the country."

He added: "The impact of this proposal would therefore be that crews would simply no longer be able to use this stretch of water.

"Given that rowing boats are fragile and difficult to manoeuvre, the risks of doing so would be too great because accidents would be inevitable."

Olympic rower Guy Pooley, head of rowing at Eton College, wrote: "The position of this new pier and the consequent activity around it will adversely affect the ability of the local rowing clubs to operate safely in that area.

"Many nationally significant events such as the Boat Race and the many Head of the River races use this area as the finish of the race and crews pass through Putney Bridge and return to Putney embankment.

"The position of the proposed pier will interfere enormously with this."

Paralympic rower and two-time world champion Erin Kennedy MBE added: "It would seriously impact all social rowing on the Tideway, including the boat races and all domestic regattas.

"It cannot be allowed to proceed."

Pete Brewer, rowing coach at Putney High School, has said the pier would increase risk for young and inexperienced rowers due to "increased freight traffic and... the probable increased volume of large passenger boats during curriculum hours".

Thames Rowing Club, Westminster School and Dulwich College are among other organisations with boathouses on the Tideway.