Author Archives: Simon Collings

Major step forward for flood alleviation scheme

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The Secretary of State, at DEFRA, Steve Reed, has approved the compulsory purchase order for the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme. This now enables the Environment Agency to proceed with acquiring the land needed to build the scheme. The decision follows a public inquiry into the CPO held at the end of 2023. The planning inspector who chaired the inquiry rejected the arguments of objectors and recommended implementation of the scheme as proposed by the Environment Agency.

In making this announcement both Steve Reed and Emmy Hardy, the floods minister, make it clear the government is fully behind the scheme and are committed to seeing it delivered.This is hugely welcome news.

Here is the full text of the DEFRA/EA press release:

New scheme in Oxford to protect every home and business from risk of River Thames flooding

  • Environment Secretary Steve Reed approves purchase to allow new scheme to be built
  • The scheme is part of the record £2.65 billion being invested in flood protection over two years

All homes, businesses and crucial infrastructure in Oxford at risk of flooding from the River Thames will be better protected thanks to a major new flood defence.   This will provide vital reassurances for more than 160,000 residents in the face of our changing climate.  

In another step under the Government’s Plan for Change, Environment Secretary Steve Reed gave crucial approval to the Environment Agency and its partners to purchase land and grant rights within the flood scheme area, which has enabled the flood scheme to progress.  

This project is part of the Government’s record two-year investment of £2.65 billion to build and repair flood defences across the country.  

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:  

“The role of Government is to protect its citizens, but flood defences were inherited in their worst condition on record.  

“Through our Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion is going into building and repairing flood defences over the next two years.  

“The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is a vital new piece of infrastructure that will deliver economic growth in Oxfordshire, better protect homes and businesses and deliver new jobs.”  

Robbie Williams, Project Director for the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme, said:  

“We’re delighted to have received approval to progress with purchasing the land needed for the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme to go ahead.  

“This is a major step forward for the project, ensuring we can bring this vital flood protection to the city. As we face increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather, the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is more urgently needed than ever.  

“We can now all look forward to starting work on putting the scheme into place.”  

This follows the earlier good news that Oxfordshire County Council resolved to grant planning permission for the scheme – this decision is separate from the Compulsory Purchase Order.  

The Environment Agency made a Compulsory Purchase Order for the land, which – as there were objections from some of the landowners – went to a public inquiry. An independent Inspector listened to the objections and to the case for confirming the order and reported her recommendations to the Secretary of State to make a final decision.  

The new scheme is designed to cope with major floods of a scale Oxford last experienced in 1947. This is far bigger in size than any of the floods Oxford has experienced in recent decades. With a changing climate, it is expected there would be more frequent heavy rainfall leading to potential flooding.  

The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is designed to work with the natural floodplain to the west of Oxford, which will be lowered to increase its capacity. A new stream will be created, fed by the River Thames, meandering through gently sloping grazing meadows. People will be able to walk and cycle alongside the new stream, with views of wildflowers and wetland.

The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme aims to enhance the natural floodplain to the west of Oxford by lowering it to increase its capacity.  

With the Compulsory Purchase Order confirmed, the Environment Agency can now exercise its statutory powers to acquire the rights and interests in the affected land. Once this process is complete, construction is expected to start in late 2026.  

Led by the Environment Agency, the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is one of the biggest flood schemes currently proposed in England.  

Protecting wildlife in the floodplain

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Thanks to prompt action by OFA eggs of the Orange-tip butterfly have been protected from possible harm during site work near Osney Mead.

National Grid has been clearing vegetation along the ‘electric road’ which runs south from Osney Mead to the Devil’s Backbone. Because of our butterfly recording activity (see previous post) we were aware of Orange-tip butterflies having recently laid eggs on vegetation close to the electric road near where it starts. The butterfly lays its eggs in Spring on Lady’s Smock, a wild flower also known as Cuckoo Flower.

We contacted the National Grid team carrying out the work and asked them not to disturb the plants. They took out advice on board and damage to the plants was avoided during the clearance work in the area. The eggs laid this year now have a change to develop into next year’s generation of adults.

The National Grid team are carrying out ecological surveys prior to a planned upgrade of the underground cables which run beneath the ‘electric road’. During the past week they have been conducting a water vole survey and we hope to discover what they found.

Male Orange-tip
Female Orange-tip
Egg on Lady’s Smock flower

BBC South Today on flooding in Oxford

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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.

OFAS scheme moving forward

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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.

Call for more investment in flood protection

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The research and policy consultancy Public First, has warned that without decisive action, ‘flooding will remain a significant economic harm, threatening prosperity and long-term growth.’ Their latest report identifies risks of escalating costs caused by flood damages and wider economic losses unless sustained investment is made to strengthen the UK’s resilience.

Around 2 million people are exposed to flooding in the UK each year. Immediate physical damage to property and infrastructure costs £2.4bn annually, and by 2050, are expect to reach £3.6bn. In addition, each year of flood events causes a decade-long downward pressure on the economy worth at least £6.1bn, according to the analysis. Investing £1.5bn per year in flood preparedness, the level recommended by the National Infrastructure Commission in 2023, would be repaid many times over by avoiding these costs. The government has committed to invest £1.3bn up to 2026, but it has not announced commitments beyond this.

An opinion survey conducted as part of the research revealed three-quarters (75%) of UK adults believe flooding occurs more frequently and causes more damage across the country than before. Nearly half (45%) of the public expect flooding to worsen in their local area in the next five years, and 58% expect it to worsen across the UK in the same period. Climate change is seen as one of the major factors causing this. Two-thirds of UK adults don’t think the country or their local area is prepared to deal with future flooding.

The report was compiled by Public First with oversight by an independent committee chaired by Emma Howard Boyd, the former Chair of the Environment Agency. She says: “The upcoming multi-year Spending Review is an opportunity for the government to protect communities from flooding where previous administrations fell short. As floods get worse, there’s more damage to flood defences, so we need to see more investment to better protect communities and maintain existing defences.

Seacourt P&R extension closed 197 days in 2024

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The extension to Seacourt Park and Ride was closed for a total of 197 days in 2024 – 54% of the time. The main reason for this was flooding, though it was also closed during some dry periods for reasons we don’t know. This facility was pushed through planning as ‘essential infrastructure’ and was expected to flood on average for only 10 days a year. Oxford Flood Alliance warned at the time that flooding would be significantly more frequent than this, but our objections were ignored.

New group aims to improve Oxfordshire’s response to flooding

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A new group will help Oxfordshire improve its readiness and response to flooding by bringing together many of the key organisations responsible for tackling it, Oxfordshire County Council has announced.

The Oxfordshire strategic flood risk group has been formed as a direct result of a flooding summit held by Oxfordshire County Council last month. It will be chaired from the new year by Prof Robert Van de Noort CBE, Vice Chancellor of Reading University and former Chair of the Thames Valley Flood and Costal Committee.

Councillor Dr Pete Sudbury, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, said: “It is a real privilege and wonderful news for Oxfordshire to have Robert agree to contribute in this way. He is a real heavyweight in the sector, widely acknowledged as having led innovative approaches to flooding as chair of the Thames Valley Flood and Costal Committee for eight years.

“The rapid acceleration in extreme rainfall events means the traditional approaches focused around high-risk areas are no longer enough, and we need to shift very rapidly to a whole landscape approach. Having Robert on board really adds impetus to achieving that at the pace and scale necessary.”

The group will include representatives from the city and district councils, Thames Water, the Environment Agency, the Northeast Cotswold Farmer Cluster, landowners and community flood resilience groups.

Prof Van de Noort said: “I look forward to working alongside people representing all parts of the community across Oxfordshire. Flooding is an issue that can affect anyone and requires everyone to play their part to keep people safe from its worst impacts.

“I am fortunate to work alongside some of the world’s most eminent weather, climate and flood scientists at Reading, who advise world leaders and the UK government on how to manage flood risks. Floods will always occur, but the difference between a flood hazard and a flood disaster is in how we prepare for them and respond to them.”

The aim is to take a collective strategic overview of the management of flood risk in the county. It will support coordination of these matters with wider economic growth and water resource management initiatives.

It will also improve integration of flood risk planning and response at a strategic level in the county, and will be the central point of liaison between local, regional and national flooding policy developments.

November’s summit, which was prompted by the floods that affected Oxfordshire in January due to Storm Henk, was held while parts of the county were recovering from more recent flooding incidents. Oxford Flood Alliance attended the event,

It provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss a shared approach to flood response and resilience in Oxfordshire; to understand the future trajectories of flooding in Oxfordshire; and to deepen shared understanding of the range of potential solutions to increase flood resilience, sharing best practice to help others develop their own plans.

It asked questions such as what a joined-up response from multiple organisations looks like during the immediate aftermath of a flood, and what could be improved or changed.

Cllr Sudbury added: “We need to try to get ahead of the game, or the economic and social losses from flooding are likely to spiral to an uncontrollable level.

“Surface water flooding can probably affect almost anywhere, if the rain is as intense as we experienced in September. We’re moving from sporadic floods, every few years, to multiple sequential clusters of them.

“The next ratchet up is continuous flooding over an extended period and so we need to look to pre-empt that. That will take time, effort, collaborative cross-agency work and widespread citizen activation.”

Flood risk increasing says EA

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One-in-four properties in England – that’s 8 million homes and businesses – could be at risk from flooding by 2050 as a result of climate change according the latest report from the Environment Agency. Currently around 6.3 million properties are considered at risk, which is higher than previously thought. The new figure is the result of improved modelling.

“The frequency and severity of the kind of flood events that we’ve been experiencing are likely to become more and more challenging,” Julie Foley, director of flood risk strategy at the EA, said.

The new National Assessment of Flood Risk (published 17 December) looks at flood risk from rivers, the sea and surface water. Revised assumptions about risk of surface water flooding – where heavy rainfall overwhelms drainage systems – accounts for much of the overall increase in current estimations of the number of properties at risk.

Building on floodplains, if the practice continues, could push these figures even higher. Conversely, investing in effective flood defences would reduce the risk of flooding. The EA recently issued a mid-term report on its £200m flood and coastal innovation programmes, in which projects are demonstrating how practical innovative actions can improve resilience to flooding and coastal erosion in a changing climate.

Upstream storage hits a roadblock

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An investigation by the Environment Agency into the potential to store flood water upstream in the catchment has concluded that the benefits are only marginally greater than the costs. Without changes to the methodology mandated by government for calculating cost-benefit ratios the proposal will not qualify for funding. The agency looked at more than 700 potential sites, narrowing these down to 17 viable sites with sufficient volume.

Upstream strorage is one of two approaches the Environment Agency has been exploring as part of the Thames Valley Flood Scheme launched in March 2021. The other approach is natural flood management. These are not alternatives to the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme, but additional measures which are likely to be needed because of global warming.

The conclusions of the flood storage study are clearly disappointing, but we understand that discussions have started with DEFRA about the methodology. Any change in policy will take time.

Meanwhile, the natural flood management projects continue. There is a lot of interesting work going on here, see for example the North East Cotswold Farm Cluster, which is part of the Evenlode Catchment Partnership.

Oxford Flood Alliance is a strong supporter of these nature-based initiatives which bring multiple benefits, not just flood-risk reduction.

What a flood storage area might look like (Environment Agency image)