The public inquiry into objections to the compulsory purchase order, issued by the Environment Agency in connection with the flood alleviation scheme, will start on 14 November. Four members of the Oxford Flood Alliance Steering Group will be speaking at the inquiry in support of the scheme. We want the planning inspector who is hearing the objections to support the CPO.

The Environment Agency contacted around 400 landowners at the start of this year about more than 800 parcels of land which the agency needs to acquire to build the scheme. Some of these acquisitions will be temporary. There have been 27 objections from landowners, who are referred to as ‘statutory objectors’. The majority of these objections relate to specific land-related issues or to protection of infrastructure including railway assets and National Grid pylons. The Environment Agency expects to resolve many of these issues before the inquiry starts. Five of the statutory objectors oppose the flood scheme in principle or aspects of it.

There are also twenty-three ‘non-statutory objectors’, members of the public who do not own land subject to compulsory purchase. These objections range from concerns about future public access to the scheme area for recreation and dog walking through to environmental concerns about the scheme or aspects of the scheme.

OFA has been asking people in flood-affected communities in Oxford to write to the CPO inquiry in support of the flood scheme. It is important that the inspector hears the voices of people wanting the scheme to go ahead.

If you have not been approached by OFA but would like to write in support of the scheme you should send your comments in an email to the Programme Officer, Helen Wilson, who is supporting the Planning Inspector. Helen Wilson’s email is progofficer@aol.com. The deadline for letters is 5pm on 17 October.

The inquiry is being held at the King’s Centre, Osney Mead and is open to the public. Sessions run Tuesday-Thursday and in some weeks on a Friday. The hearings are scheduled to run for five weeks. OFA members expect to be speaking on the afternoon of 16 November. Information about the inquiry can be found here. All of the objections, with responses from the Environment Agency, are listed in Appendix 2 of the Statement of Case which is available from this link.