A bid by Tideway Scullers to build a desperately needed extra boathouse has been put on hold until more information is gathered about how the project will affect the Thames tow path.

For years the Dukes Meadows based scullers club has been bursting out of its existing boat house, built in 1986.

Britain's leading sculling club has been forced resort to using the arches of Chiswick Bridge to store boats.

Club captain Stan Livy said: "We are full to overflowing. We currently have a full boathouse, racks under the arches of Chiswick Bridge which are seven to eight boats high and there is more racking outside which we pay a tresspassing rent to the council for."

A single-storey metal frame building has been proposed to go up about 30 metres north of the existing boat house next to Chiswick Bridge. It would act primarily as a storage facility.

However the project suffered a set back last week when Hounslow Council's Chiswick Area Planning Committee deferred their decision after realising the project would divert the riverside footpath away from the shoreline to behind the existing boathouse.

Committee member Coun Felicity Barwood said: "Once the footpath is known we can come back and look at it again at the next meeting in six weeks."

Two years ago the club wanted to build a much grander two-storey boathouse with storage space, a training suite and changing facilities, but the application was refused for being too large.

Established in 1956, Tideway Scullers is home to Britain's number one sculler Alan Campbell, world champion New Zealander, Mahe Drysdale and several male and female international scullers. Duke Meadows in Chiswick has been the club's base since 1986.