County ecologist supports OFAS biodiversity plan

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Beccy Micklem, Landscape and Nature Recovery Team Leader at Oxfordshire County Council has confirmed that she is now satisfied the OFAS scheme can meet its targets in relation to biodiversity net gain. This follows the submission of ‘letters of comfort’ by the Environment Agency and three landowners confirming that land is available to provide offsite biodiversity compensation.

Ms Micklem’s updated response to the case officer says: ‘Following delivery of off-site habitat creation, the scheme will result in net gains of 11.24% area habitats, 11.66% hedgerows, and 15.22% watercourses. Provision of letters of comfort from landowners with whom the applicant is engaging with regards delivery of offsite BNG (Blenheim Estate, the Earth Trust and Oxford City Council) have recently been submitted, providing increased certainty that the necessary provision of offsite BNG will be deliverable.
Should you be minded to grant planning permission, a number of planning conditions and obligations will be needed to secure measures to conserve biodiversity and deliver a net gain.’

The document goes on to set out the specific conditions which should be attached to planning consent. This would appear to unblock the final obstacle to the scheme securing planning permission. We are hoping the application will now go to the 3 June meeting of the County Council planning committee.

The updated response and the letters of comfort are on the County planning portal.

Reducing flood risk by improving biodiversity

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Can improving biodiversity in Oxfordshire contribute to reducing flood risk? We think it can and there are conversations taking place across the county which could move this forward.

Oxfordshire County Council is developing a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for the county. This flows from the 2021 Environment Act and government commitments to improve biodiversity across the UK. Oxford Flood Alliance has been participating in consultation meetings on the strategy. We’re interested in ways natural flood management in the catchment can help reduce flood risk.

The County is using expert advice alongside wide-ranging public consultation. Twelve workshops were held in March involving more than 300 participants, including conservationists, farmers and local government officers. A survey of local people received 650 responses. Results of these engagement activities were presented in an online meeting on 9 May attended by more than 100 people.

What matters most?

The two issues that gained the widest support from these consultations were improving the quality of our rivers and freshwater habitats and stopping river pollution from sewage and agricultural runoff. Benefits expected to come from this included reduced flooding (number 2 for the workshops and 3 in the survey result). There was also strong support for an end to building in the floodplain.  Thames Water cleaning up its act is critical to reducing pollution.

Simon Collings from OFA asked how reducing flood risk would be reflected in the priorities for  the strategy. Chloe Edwards, who leads on this work at the County Council, said this would be through identifying habitat improvements which included natural flood management to benefit properties and/or farmland. She said she expected this to be a significant component of the strategy.

How could this reduce flood risk?

LNRS is not the only county-wide strategy for dealing with flood risk, or even the main one, but slowing runoff and improving storage upstream across the Thames catchment could help. To see an example of this in action watch this video about the Evenlode Catchment Project. (The section of flood management starts around 9 mins in.)

Another example is outlined in the Bernwood, Otmoor, and Ray (BOR) strategy developed by BBOWT. The River Ray drains into the Cherwell, which joins the Thames in Oxford. The BBOWT plan is to create wetland areas which would slow the discharge of water from the Ray into the wider river system. Working with farmers will be critical in achieving this. The LNRS will incorporate existing initiatives like these as building blocks.

What does it mean for OFAS?

These strategies are not an alternative to the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme but they could help as climate change takes effect. They are also important for the survival of our wildlife. Connecting up areas of surviving biodiversity is seen as a key objective of the strategy. The OFAS scheme is designed to deliver biodiversity net gain as well as flood protection. The project could contribute to the creation of more joined-up habitat across the county.

The LNRS is intended to provide a focus for government funding decisions and a basis for various actors to collaborate. But it won’t be the only game in town. It is envisaged that there will still be a lot of other activity taking place over and above what’s included in the strategy.

OFA featured in podcast about flood resilience

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Project Groundwater has just released the first of a new series of podcasts looking at different aspects of groundwater flooding. Episode 1 focuses on ‘resilience’ and features interviews with two academic experts on the topics, Dr Karen Potter and Dr Sarah Fitton, plus Simon Collings from Oxford Flood Alliance.

The term ‘resilience’ appears with increasing frequency in the literature about flooding, but what precisely is understood by this word is far from clear. It can mean a number of different things, and is often used to denote what is in fact a complex topic. Without being clear what we mean in any given context evaluating the success of actions to improve resilience could be difficult, and well-meaning interventions may in fact bring no benefit. There is also a risk that an emphasis on ‘community resilience’ in government policy could shift the burden of responding to floods onto communities, and away from the state. Getting he balance right will be critical.

There are things which those directly affected by flooding can do to protect their businesses and homes, and ensure they can recover quickly from a flood. But such measures need to be complemented by actions from the Environment Agency, local authorities and others, both at times of flooding and in modifying the built environment to reduce risk of property flooding.

The degree to which a group of residents has the ability, time and resources to improve their personal resilience as well as influence their wider environment, will vary from one location to another. There are risks of less well-off communities being left behind, and the degree to which ‘capacity’ can be built in vulnerable communities remains little understood.

The podcast, hosted by Katie Hargrave-Smith, lasts 40 mins and can be accessed here.

(OFA is working with Project Groundwater to try to establish a flood action group in South Oxford, an area of the city which has particular issues with groundwater.)

Flood group meeting for South Oxford

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A follow up meeting of people who expressed interest in forming a flood group for South Oxford will take place this coming Monday at South Oxford Community Centre (see poster below). This follows the successful public event in South Oxford on 21 March which focused on groundwater flooding, a particular risk in this area of the city.

Monday’s meeting will bring together interested local residents to discuss what a flood group might focus on, and what support they need from Project Groundwater, Oxford Flood Alliance and others. Our hope is that this will result in the formation of a group which will begin to map out a series of activities to raise awareness of flood risk in the neighbourhood, what people can do about it, and to provide advice and information during flood events.

The ongoing saga of Seacourt P&R extension

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Tuesday 9 April marks the 100th day of 2024 and Seacourt Park & Ride extension has not been open to the public for a single one of those days. Following flooding in January the council cleaned it on 2 February, presumably with an intention of opening it to the public. It had been free of all flooding and pooled water for about a week.  However, it had been raining in the preceding days, and the car park started to flood once more on 3 February, the very day after it had been cleaned. It has been underwater to a greater or lesser extent ever since.

Clean up 2 February
11 February – back to this
3 April – flooding still visible in the P&R extension

Oxford Flood Alliance warned the council in 2016 that the proposed car park extension lay in Flood Zone 3b, the functional floodplain, and it was not suitable development for that location. National planning policy (the NPPF and its accompanying Technical Guidance) stipulates that a Flood Zone 3b location is only suitable for ‘water-compatible’ development and for ‘essential infrastructure… that would remain operational and safe for users in times of flood.’

We submitted at the time that the developer underestimated the extent to which the site flooded. Their consultants had projected that it would be shut on average for 10 days every year due to flooding, a conclusion they had reached by leaving the years of most extensive flooding out of their assessment. We argued at the time that this was an inaccurate representation of the true nature of the site, and did not account for climate change. So far this year alone, it has been shut for 10 times that anticipated duration.

By comparison, the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is an example of the type of development in a Flood Zone 3b location that is compatible with the NPPF, since it remains operational in times of flood (to serve its very purpose) and also is ‘essential infrastructure’, helping to reduce the impact of flooding across Oxford. Oxford Flood Alliance supports this example of responsible development in the floodplain.

On this 100th day of 2024, the 100th day of the year on which the Seacourt Park & Ride extension remains closed to the public, we urge the council to give national and local planning policies the weight they deserve, in particular in relation to flooding. National planning policy exists for a good reason. It is a material consideration for planning committees, and they ignore it at their peril.

South Oxford flood meeting well attended

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Last night’s meeting on flooding in South Oxford attracted around 70 local residents interested to learn more about what can be done to reduce flood risk. The meeting was hosted and introduced by Cllr Anna Railton, who set the scene by describing the floods of January and February this year and issues arising.

David Macdonald, a geo-hydrologist who lives locally, gave an overview of groundwater flooding which is a particular problem in South Oxford. Rising river levels push up groundwater, and one way to reduce risk, he said, is to lower river levels.

This is what the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme aims to achieve, and Richard Harding from the Environment Agency gave a quick overview of the project. Mat Lloyd, also from the EA, spoke briefly about community flood preparedness.

Karen Fisher and Jed Ramsay then talked about Project Groundwater, a Defra funded initiative which aims to build resilience in communities particularly affected by groundwater flooding. South Oxford is one of the areas they are specifically targeting with advice and support. One issue Jed talk about was early warning systems for groundwater using advanced technologies.

Simon Collings spoke finally about Oxford Flood Alliance and gave an example from January this year of the way community organisation prevented flooding.

At the end of the meeting a number of people expressed interest in learning more about becoming a flood warden and about developing a flood plan. OFA will working in partnership with Project Groundwater in helping to create enhanced community organisation around flooding in South Oxford. The resources which Project Groundwater bring to this venture provide a great opportunity for improving the community’s resilience.

Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme, of course, remains critical to reducing flood risk in the city. Several people said they would be writing to the County Council urging them to give planning consent for the scheme.

Ten years on sewer flooding still a scandal

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Following the flooding in early 2014, OFA steering group member Richard Thurston, surveyed residents in west Oxford about their experiences with flooding. This included questions on sewers and the response led to a meeting between Thames Water and our then MP Nicola Blackwood on Friday 28 February. The notes Richard prepared for the meeting covered a familiar set of issues.

  • sewage in rear garden:
  • inability to use the toilet;
  • aving to travel to Marks and Spencer in the city centre to use the toilet;
  • unpleasant smells from toilets;
  • toilet taking longer to flush;
  • sewage discharging into the street;
  • preference not to use the lavatory as sewage was flowing into the garden which then flowed into the kitchen;
  • inconsistent approach to clean-up – sewage in garden cleared by TW in January, but not in February;
  • inability to allow children into the garden because of problems with sewage;
  • poor investigation by TW of complaints, overall apparent lack of willingness to do anything about the problems with sewers being overwhelmed by flood water, despite no obvious cause of floodwater;

Richard received responses (including survey responses, emails, phone calls and oral testimony) from residents in Abbey Road, Arthur Road, Botley Road, Barrett Street, Binsey Village, Bridge Street, Duke Street, Earl Street, East Street, Helen Road, Hill View Road, Mill Street, Oatlands Road, South Street, West Street.

Though these issues were raised with Thames Water little has been done since to tackle residents concerns, and the flooding early this year resulted in the same problems with surcharging sewers, sewage in homes, gardens and businesses, and problems for people using downstairs toilets.

OFA has taken these issues up with our current MP Layla Moran who is pressing Thames Water for explanations.

Public meeting South Oxford 21 March 2024

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Oxford Flood Alliance will be speaking at a public meeting on flooding in south Oxford and what can be done about it. This area of Oxford has particular issues with groundwater though the neighbourhood is also affected by river flooding.

David Macdonald, a hydrologist and local resident, will explain how groundwater flooding occurs, Jed Ramsay from Project Groundwater, a government funded initiative which is working with the community, will talk about local resilience and mitigation, Richard Harding from the Environment Agency will talk about the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme and how this will benefit local residents, and Simon Collings from OFA will talk about the work of the alliance.

The meeting has been organised by the local city councillors, Anna Railton and Naomi Waite, and will be chaired by Cllr Railton. Information about flood insurance, Project Groundwater and the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme will be available at the event.

The meeting will take place on 21 March, 7pm, at South Oxford Christian Centre, Wytham Street, OX1 4TW.

Housing development blocked by failing sewers

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The Environment Agency has objected to plans for a large housing development just north of Oxford because they believe the Thames Water sewer network will not cope with the extra load.

An article in today’s Guardian says:

‘Thames Water’s treatment plant in Oxford has been illegally discharging sewage for six years, causing significant risk to the rivers and environment from pollution, the EA has said.

‘The increased pressure on the sewage infrastructure from 1,450 new houses planned to the north of Oxford would pose an unacceptable risk of pollution into waterways, the agency said in a letter of objection.

‘It warned it was “not acceptable” for a new housing development to go ahead until Thames Water had carried out the required investment to bring the works within legal limits.’

In recent weeks we have seen dilute sewage leaking out of manhole covers at various locations in west Oxford. We’ve also seen houses and businesses flooded by sewage. All of this sewage is then washing into the local river system. We have asked Thames Water to explain what is going on and what hey plan to do about it but have so far had no adequate response. We have raised the issue with Layla Moran MP.

Without serious investments by Thames Water, more development in the city will result in increased risk of sewer flooding for local residents, and more discharges of sewage polluting our rivers. We must have independent proof that improvements Thames Water plan to make at the Oxford Sewage Treatment Works are adequate and that the company is meeting its legal obligations before more connections are made to the system.

Oxford Flood Alliance welcomes this intervention by the EA.

High flood levels cause sewer overflow on Botley Rd

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Liz Sawyer from Oxford Flood Alliance is quoted in a story in the Oxford Mail today about overflowing sewers in the Botley Rd area. Floodwater which has infiltrated the sewer network is causing manhole covers to overflow and has resulted in flooding in some homes and businesses.

Annie Blows, who lives on Botley Road, said sewage is pumping out of the drains in her laundry room and out across her garden: ‘You can see it’s full of loo roll and all sorts. It’s terrifying to think about the health risk.’

Outside in the street sewage is leaking from drain covers and forming large puddles. It is fountaining out of a manhole cover in the middle of the Botley Road. Sewage is also pooling in the Waitrose service area, the store remains open as usual.

Ms Blows said a Thames Water representative told her they ‘had to make a decision about whether to flood us, the vets, and the other few houses in our row, or risk 300 other houses.’

‘Some notice would have been good,’ she added. ‘We could have moved our appliances and furniture – but as it is everything’s damaged.’

Sewage in Annie Blows’ laundry room
Sewage bubbling out in Botley Rd
Leaking sewer cover near bus stop

Liz Sawyer, who lives further along Botley Rd, says her family has had to stop using their downstairs loo because it flushes away so slowly. Liz says: ‘There have been bubbling drains and inspection chambers in the area for weeks – even when the water was lower than it is now. There are several in North Hinksey village. The system seems to be under pressure in a way that hasn’t happened before. This is deeply worrying.’

‘Thames Water is contributing to the budget for the planned Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme (OFAS), because the company believes it will help reduce these sewage leaks, caused by ageing infrastructure. But there are clearly major issues ahead for Thames Water, as climate change worsens.’

Thames Water have had staff in the area and have been using tankers to try to pump out sewage from the system to relieve the pressure. The company told the Oxford Mail they have ‘arranged for an extensive clean and investigation of our sewers to identify any obstructions which may be disrupting the flow in the area.’

You can read the full Oxford Mail story here.