Just for interest, we do not necessarily agree with everything in the article.
Author Archives: rawcy
Flood insurance
Just for interest, we do not necessarily agree with everything in the article.
Letter in Oxford Times re Northmoor Weir
8 March 2012
Northmoor Weir – letter to the Oxford Times
23 February 2012
Northmoor weir
15 January 2012
We’ve just signed a petition opposing the spending of £3 MILLION to replace a perfectly good weir at Northmoor Lock, near Appleton. The flood risk reduction capital budget for Oxford is £5000 for the next 5 years.
See the background and sign the petition here http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/northmoorweir/
We’ve said this:
“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. To that one might add: especially when it costs £3 million, the country is experiencing economic hard times and there are many things on which (almost!) everybody would agree the money could be better spent. We are not only thinking of flood defences for Oxford, although we sorely need more and there is at present nothing in the capital budget for 2012 onwards.
1. On the so-called health and safety issue:
We believe the technical case put forward re health and safety is deeply flawed. There are serious technical objections to its conclusions. There has never been an accident.
Even were the technical a case proven (which it is not) how much should be spent in such a case? £3 million isn’t too much – apparently. How about £10 million? £20 million? What does the law require? We don’t believe it’s that stupid.
2. There is no flood risk reduction for anyone (even the EA don’t claim that there is).
3. The present weir works well and is not at the end of its life.
4. It is a beautiful and important part of our river heritage.
It’s ironic that, despite the ‘Big Society’ agenda, when ‘ordinary’ people want to be listened to it still feels like banging your head against the proverbial brick wall. We think your idea of ‘working more closely with our MP’ is an excellent approach. And the PM’s constituency is of course not far away.
This should be winnable because of the facts and the logic of the case. Get the politicians involved, as you intend, and you should succeed.
Good luck in stopping this ill-conceived waste of public money. Let us know if we can help.“
Munday’s bridge, December 2011
15 December 2011
Progress after years of trying! Thames Water have a project to improve flood water drainage off the Kennington Road and this will include extensive work at Munday’s to ensure that water can then get away from the area. This is extremely good news, as Munday’s is a severe pinchpoint holding water back in the floodplain west of the railway. Thames Water hope to start work in the spring.
Thames west bank above Tumbling Bay
The photographs show the west bank of the Thames, just north of the Botley Road, above Tumbling Bay, on 12 November 2008. Water is breaching the bank in several places. The banks are eroded further with each successive flood.
We have suggested for the last three years (now December 2011) that this bank should be repaired; however there have been difficulties in achieving this, including much debate about how much it all matters. It would seem best that the area is looked at as dispassionately as possible, and computer modelling seems a good place to start. We would like the Environment Agency to assess what impact water, escaping from the river here early on, well before flooding of properties occurs, has on levels and flow in the Bulstake Stream, and on groundwater levels in the Botley Road area.
LLFA and PFRA
Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA)
Oxfordshire County Council is now our Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA).
Their Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PFRA), April 2011, is in our Library.
Partnership funding
December 2011
New government funding system for flooding
Central government funding is now through a new scheme known as Flood and Coastal Resilience Partnership Funding and run by DEFRA via the Regional Flood and Coastal Committees (RFCCs). The old scheme resulted in ‘all or none’ funding, the new scheme in ‘all or part or none’ – the suggested advantages being to spread funding more widely, to encourage cost reduction and to allow top-ups to central funding from other sources. But see the report on our Annual Public Meeting for how we’re affected – very badly so far – and what we’re doing about it.
OFA Annual Public Meeting, 2011
Our fourth Annual Public Meeting was held on 16 November 2011
We were delighted to welcome, as last year, Andrew Smith MP, County and City Councillor Susanna Pressel and City Councillor Colin Cook. A representative attended on behalf of Nicola Blackwood MP. Apologies were received from County Councillor Rodney Rose and City Councillor Oscar Van Nooijen. Last, but by no means least, about 75 members of the public came, an excellent attendance more than four years after the last flood.
The meeting began with the award of the sole OFA Flood Star of 2011 to Paul Kirkley. Paul works as an engineer for Oxford City. His professional skills, commitment, and cooperative way of working have been instrumental in turning ideas into practical flood relief projects which will help many residents escape the miseries of flooding.
Nick Hills presents Paul Kirkley (left) with the OFA Flood Star award
A review of the year included:
Nick Hills on the several measures now in place to protect Earl and Duke Streets, including the completion this year of the road hump at the north end of Earl Street (to be supplemented by a barrier on top during a flood) and a new route for flood water down Lamarsh Road, through Kingerlee’s land to the open meadows to the south. Nick also described the new flood culverts under Willow Walk installed this summer by the Environment Agency and originally suggested by OFA.
Andy Webber told us about the survey which he undertook of Castle Mill Stream. Following this survey the Environment Agency has cleared trees and debris from the channel at the northern end. We now await clearance under badly silted-up railway bridges, removal of sunken boats and a review of the operation of various weirs and sluices.
Paul Kirkley spoke about a possible scheme to reduce risk for residents on the east side of Duke Street, which in the process would further reduce risk for the whole Duke and Earl Street area.
Brian Durham gave an account of the problems of getting flood insurance and how a ‘DIY’ community flood risk assessment might help.
John Mastroddi told the meeting about developments at Munday’s bridge in Kennington, crucial to the drainage of the whole western flood plain. We have been campaigning about this for over four years. It now seems very likely that major improvements will be made here by Thames Water in the spring of 2012.
Richard Thurston spoke about Osney Island. Thames Water has added telemetry to the West Street Pumping station – so if their surface water pump fails, their control centre will receive immediate notification. The City Council’s scheme for property level flood protection in Bridge Street, Doyley Road and South Street (for which the funding is in place) is welcome news and should reassure many Islanders; finally, Thames Water has provided costs for the extension to the surface water drainage scheme (‘sump and pipe’) to relieve South Street and Bridge Street, but there is no funding as yet.
David Macdonald, local resident and senior hydrogeologist with the British Geological Survey, has been studying groundwater in our area for some years. He told us of a project he is leading which, if it is funded, will see Oxford have the UK’s first groundwater warning scheme, available to residents via the internet. OFA is supporting the application for funding of the scheme.
Peter Rawcliffe outlined the new central government funding arrangements for flood-related works. We discovered about three months ago that the Environment Agency had not applied for any money for Oxford under this new scheme. This came as a bombshell: so to remedy this appalling situation we have submitted suggestions to the EA for them to assess (this entails computer modelling) and then to apply the funding formula which tells one how much funding would be available. Proposals that score highly enough will be put forward for consideration by DEFRA’s Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee. Proposals have to be in by the summer and the EA is working to that target. We hope to be able to let you know preliminary results soon.
Andrew Smith, MP for Oxford East (above), kindly thanked OFA for their hard work and success, and offered his continuing support.
oxford flood alliance 