DEFRA has now confirmed that an inspector will be appointed to hear objections from landowners to Compulsory Purchase Orders issued as part of the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme. The project team has been expecting an inquiry of this kind to be established, and the decision comes as no surprise.

The project needs to acquire land in order to build the scheme, and is following the legal processes required for this to happen. This is a normal part of any infrastructure project. Where individual landowners object to their land being acquired they have the right to have their arguments heard by an independent planning inspector. This is the process which the Secretary of State has now confirmed will take place. A date is yet to be set but we expected this to happen towards the end of the year.

The inquiry will be an independent forum where the merits or otherwise of criticisms of the scheme can be determined. The CPO inquiry is separate to the planning application process currently underway with Oxfordshire County Council, which is also providing independent scrutiny of the scheme. We are waiting currently for the date of the Planning Committee meeting where the application will be decided to be confirmed.