Plans to create a new home for Oxford University’s Engineering Department at Osney Mead are being watched very closely by OFA. Oxford University Development is bringing forward a proposal for the new building because of severe constraints at the sites the department currently occupies.

Alongside plans for the building itself OUD has been tasked by the City Council with producing a set of ‘principals and procedures’ to guide the further redevelopment of Osney Mead. A representative of OFA has taken part in two stakeholder workshops and we have submitted comments on the plans.

The planning application will have to be based on current flood risk as the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is not yet in place. Some statements made in the consultation materials, and at the second stakeholder workshop, have concerned us and we sense the OUD team is struggling to find a way to deal with flood risk associated with the site. We have made a written submission to OUD on this and have raised concerns with the Environment Agency.

One of the principles proposed by OUD says: ‘Redevelopment of Osney Mead must put flood resilience first and foremost. Sustainable development must recognise the effects of climate change and build responsibly. A considered and responsive flood mitigation strategy across the whole site should drive any masterplan.’ We welcome this commitment, but the question is how to achieved it, and what implications flood risk has for various ambitions for the site. Even after OFAS is built there will still be some residual flood risk. We expect to engage with OUD in detail on this.

Information about the proposals can be found on this dedicated Osney Mead – OUD website.

Project Groundwater’s Innovation Fund Projects have won the Community Action Award at the Flood & Coast Excellence Awards 2026 — a recognition of the positive impact these community-led projects are making.

The four wining community groups includes South Oxford Flood Action Group which OFA helped to set up. SOFLAG has used its innovation funding to establish a local network of boreholes, gauge boards and surface water sensors which feed data to the organisation’s website. This provides local residents with live data on potential groundwater flooding when river levels are high. The project also involves outreach to the local community to raise awareness of groundwater flooding.

Flood & Coast is an annual conference organised by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) that celebrates progress and innovation in Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCREM).

The other groups supported by Project Groundwater are in Luton, Chesham, and Chalfont St Peter. Each has used the Innovation Fund to develop creative, practical ways to boost community resilience to groundwater flooding – strengthening preparedness, improving understanding, and empowering residents to take action.

OFA steering group member Adrian Porter features in the latest episode of Groundwater Rising, a podcast produced by Project Groundwater.

Adrian joins host Helen to tell the story of his journey from being groundwater flooded with devastating effects… to becoming a local flood warden… and eventually re-training to become a water and environment expert… and then getting a role researching and preserving chalk streams.

In the first part of this episode we get to hear the dramatic story of how Adrian’s own house succumbed to groundwater flooding. In the second half we hear about how Adrian has harnessed this negative experience in a positive way. He shares vital tips and advice for anyone else affected by groundwater flooding on options to protect their home… and then goes on to explain how communities can become more resilient and help each other. 

Finally, we hear more about how Adrian now works with chalk streams and his thoughts on how we can make progress on better understanding groundwater and why he believes we need to take the approach of working with nature… not trying to control it.

Adrian also appeared recently in an episode of Country File.

Members of Oxford Flood Alliance are registering as official flood wardens under a new scheme launched by Oxfordshire County Council. The rollout of the scheme across the whole county follows successful pilot projects in Witney, Ascott-under-Wychwood, Abingdon and Sunningwell.

Richard Thurston and Simon Collings of Osney are the first OFA members to complete the induction process and be registered. This follows on from work with the City and County Councils on a community flood plan for Osney last year. The aim is to strengthen links with the local authorities around flood response and ensure drains and culverts are fit for purpose when heavy rain arrives. This complements the links with the Environment Agency which are already in place.

Wardens for South Hinksey, Kennington, and Earl and Duke St will follow, and members of South Oxford Flood Action Group are also registering under the scheme. This will ensure good coverage of the areas of the city affected by fluvial flooding and groundwater. Wardens act as ‘eyes and ears’ for the local authorities, alerting them to issues which need attention.

South Oxford Flood Action Group have included a useful page on their website with a table showing river levels upstream of Oxford in the Thames catchment. They also provide some guidance on how historical levels relate to the severity of flooding in South Oxford. The text reads as follows:

Because of the complex influence of upstream river levels on flooding that can occur in South Oxford, it is not possible to have a failsafe means to predict if and when flooding will occur. However, the EA’s upstream river level monitoring data can give us some idea when flooding might occur and how serious it might be. Here are two rules of thumb:

• since the early 2000s we have had major floods in South Oxford when the level of the Seacourt Stream at Minns Estate rises above 2.69 metres
• often, but not always, if the river level on the downstream side of Shifford Lock reaches 3.90 metres and the river level on the downstream side of Northmoor Lock reaches 3.58 metres there will likely be a major flood in South Oxford. A rise in the river levels at Shifford Lock can often be seen in the Hinksey Stream in South Oxford about 12-24 hours later.

These same levels would also apply to flooding in West Oxford. River levels in Oxford are currently very similar to those we same on 21 December last year.

OFA has made a short submission to the current consultation on a proposed reorganisation of Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue services. We have not expressed an opinion on the overall proposal. Our comments relate purely to the role the Fire Service plays during flood emergencies. The Fire Service has no statutory obligation to respond to floods, but in practice it has provided vital support to other agencies during flooding. Fire crews help to rescue people in trouble, and pump floodwater away to protect homes and keep roads open. Oxfordshire Fire Service has a mobile high-volume pump stationed in Banbury which is deployed in the county and beyond at times of flooding.

The proposals document does not mention flood response. An accompanying document called Facts First does mention a need to review how specialist rescue services will be organised if the proposal goes ahead. From the information provided it is not possible to assess what implications, if any, the reorganisation has for the provision of support during times of flooding. We have asked the proposers to clarify this. We would like to see support during a flood maintained at at least existing levels, and ideally enhanced. We have asked for an assurance that the service will retain the capacity to deliver this support.

The latest issue of the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme newsletter, available from the project website, provides updates on progress on the scheme. This includes plans to create a Stakeholder Advisory Group, mentioned in our last blog. The group will provide ‘advice and local insights’ as the project team prepares for and starts construction and will be formed in January. If you wish to learn more about this group you can register your interest at OxfordScheme@environment-agency.gov.uk.

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The first stage of the flood monitoring project being implemented by South Oxford Flood Action Group (see post of 1 June 2025 ) was completed on Friday 1 August with the installation of a borehole in the grounds of St John the Evangelist Church, Vicarage Road. This will allow groundwater levels in the area to be measured and the data fed to a publicly accessible web portal.

Over the coming months gauge boards will be installed to measure water levels in streams and rivers and in Hinksey Lake, as well as other flood-prone areas of South Oxford. Community volunteers will take readings from the boards during flood events and the data will be shared through the web portal. The initiative is supported by Project Groundwater.