On 23 April BBC South Today broadcast a substantial report on flooding and flood resilience in Oxford (starts 10 mins into the programme).

The item, researched and presented by Alexis Green, begins with householders and a business on Osney Island showing how they cope with flooding. Residents demonstrate the use of pumps and floodgates, and Jacqui Mangold, of the Vishuddha Yoga Centre, explains how their building is designed to allow flood water to enter the ground floor. The construction materials allow rapid recovery from a flood. Residents also discuss the impact of flooding on their lives.

Bas Van Schaik of Earl St, further west along Botley Rd, talks about flooding in those streets and about the large pumps at the bottom of Earl St. He describes the problems of sewage during a flood and the traces of excrement left behind on the streets. He says when he moved to Earl St in 2016 there was already talk of a flood scheme but ten years on we’re still waiting for the first spade in the ground. Residents of West Oxford, he says, find it hard to understand why the flood alleviation scheme is taking so long.

Robbie Williams of the Environment Agency explains how the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is designed to reduce flood risk for the city. The EA says it is vital to future growth and prosperity in Oxford. The scheme will create a large wetland area and new species-rich meadows in the Oxford floodplain.

The report closes with comments from residents of North and South Hinksey concerned about the impacts the scheme could have on their local environment.

The broadcast was trailed earlier in the day on BBC Radio Oxford with a representative  of OFA interviewed live on the Sophie Law breakfast show.

An article by Alexis Green on Oxford’s flooding is on the BBC website here.