On 31 March the government published a list of over 1000 flood-related projects receiving funding in 2025-26 as investment in flood protection is increased.

The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is on the list with £1.8m allocated for the coming financial year. The project is still in the process of securing all of the necessary approvals to proceed to the construction phase and the funding allocation for this year reflects that position. This is not new money but funding already available to the project. Decisions on capital spending will follow the completion of the processes currently underway.

OFAS is a large and complex project, with various approvals required from different bodies, but it is moving forward. Central government departments and local authorities are under considerable pressure, with government pushing ambitious targets across a range of sectors. This can mean some processes take longer than we’d ideally want, but the project team is working hard to advance the project.

With its announcement on Monday the government signaled a clear commitment to providing enhanced flood protection across the country.