Category Archives: Maintenance

Maintenance of rural stretches: riparian responsibilities

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IMG_4149hinksey stream at s hinksey

Hinksey Stream at South Hinksey, 1 Nov 2012

7 June 2013

Peter Rawcliffe of OFA met with a representative of the EA today, to discuss the maintenance of the long rural stretches of waterway in our area. Our joint aim is to bring the riparian owners within Oxford together to develop a practical approach to their doing the maintenance work that is needed. The EA has the skills, experience and authority to advise: OFA will add the community voice, emphasising the importance of proper maintenance and of riparian owners fulfilling their responsibilities. We hope to be able to report progress by our Annual Public Meeting in November.

Meeting on OFA proposals; and encouraging maintenance by riparian owners

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30 May 2013

1. Meeting this afternoon with representatives of the EA, County, RFCC, City and Vale. We heard the results of assessments of ten proposals put forward by OFA last December. Two broad options are worthy of further investigation: we expect to hear more by the autumn. Also awaited is a reconciliation of two different flood models for our area, which will have an indirect bearing on the proposals mentioned and assist in a re-evaluation of the idea of a new ‘western conveyance’ – i.e. bigger waterway (new, or expanded present ones – or a mix of the two). While nothing is yet definite, we remain patiently optimistic, and determined.

 2. We are starting to work with the EA (first meeting next week) to encourage owners of the banks of the long rural stretches of waterway in the area (for which as riparian owners they are responsible) to undertake long-term maintenance of the waterways.

Maintenance

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15 September 2012

The main waterways in the western flood plain, Hinksey Stream, Drain, Bulstake Stream etc. have been cleared of vegetation and a good deal of silt by the EA in the past few years. Clearly, to make the most of them and the new associated structures (such as the large new flood culverts under the railway access road) they need to be kept clear. We have already set up a monitoring system, but it is for dealing with local problems or isolated matters such as fallen trees, see Maintenance. For longer stretches of weed and silt, we need a different approach. We will talk to our partners – the Environment Agency, Oxford City and the Oxford Area Flood Partnership, to see how we can best ensure proper maintenance in the years ahead. We have begun this, and will be pursuing it in the coming weeks and months. We may be able to report some progress by our Annual Public Meeting in November – let’s hope so anyway!

Hinksey Stream cleared

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28/02/09 Before: Hinksey Stream below The Fishes
Before: closer-up
30/01/10 Same stretch after clearing
30/01/10 Same stretch after clearing
30/01/10 Dredgings along the bank

30 January 2010

The OFA Flood Blackspot of July 2009 was the Hinksey Stream from North Hinksey to Redbridge, which badly needed clearing. This has now been done by the Environment Agency. It is very much better. Thank you!

Clearing Hinksey Stream

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28/10/09 Ready for action on Hinksey Stream
28/10/09 Before: the right hand half is all stream…
02/11/09 Clearing above South Hinksey
02/11/09 Clearing above South Hinksey
02/111/09 After – the result (same stretch as second photo). Thank you EA.
02/11/09 Looking downstream from the same point, needs clearing too. We hope this can be done soon.

2 November 2009

Clearance of Hinksey Stream by the Environment Agency starts near South Hinksey. Improving the flow of water here will benefit everyone upstream, to the Botley Road and beyond.

Clearing Seacourt Stream under the A34 near Wytham

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02/10/09 Seacourt Stream below Wytham: note bank cut back on far side; desilted
02/10/09 silt spread on the field, A34 behind

2 October 2009

Work began a couple of days ago on the Seacourt Stream just below Wytham, where it goes under the A34. The Environment Agency has desilted the stream and cut back the bank immediately above the culvert. We’re told that further work will be done to clear vegetation in the near future.

Kathy Day, Clerk to Wytham Meeting, writes:

‘This is Wytham’s ‘pinch point’ as the water from our part of the flood plain has to flow into the Seacourt Stream, then through the relatively narrow channel under the A34. Our thanks to OFA – and to Nigel Bray, EA, who have listened to the Parish Meeting’s points about this and acted upon them’.

OFA comments:

This work is very welcome. The improvement must maintained by regular maintenance in the future. It should never have been allowed to get into its recent poor state in the first place. Budgets for maintenance need to be substantially increased centrally so the local team can get on with the job. This applies not only here but throughout the Main River system in the area. Good work has been done recently to clear Seacourt Stream below the Botley Road and this is, we understand, to be extended south. Very welcome news but, again, it must be kept clear in future by adequate maintenance.

Seacourt Stream nr. Wytham

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13 September 2009

Our man in waders tells us that the Environment Agency is starting work, this coming week, to remove a silt bank that is impeding the flow of the Seacourt Stream as it approaches the A34 road bridge near Wytham. The maintenance, which is expected to take 2 weeks, will also include tree maintenance and clearing overgrown vegetation.

Future short-term measures

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16 July 2009

Andy Webber made a presentation on behalf of OFA to the Oxford Area Flood Partnership (OAFP).

OFA’s principal message was to stress the importance of capitalising on the work already done in clearing the Seacourt/Hinksey Stream from the Botley Road to The Fishes in North Hinksey – and the work which has been or is about to be done to remove serious pinchpoints at Redbridge. The Hinksey Stream between these two areas must now be cleared of obstructions, so allowing the good work already done to have maximum benefit.

Our message was well received. The EA is a principal player in this – the local EA team agree how important this work is and are keen to see it done. Let us hope funding is made available.

Well done to the Environment Agency

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3 March 2009

Clearing the Bullstake Stream looking from Botley Rd bridge

Clearing the Bullstake Stream looking from Botley Rd bridge

For their clearance of the Bulstake Stream and Osney Ditch and parts of the Hinksey/Seacourt Stream from Botley Road bridge as far as The Fishes pub, North Hinksey. This was completed in the winter of 2008. It will help water get away from the Botley Road area. To get the full benefit of this work the streams between here and Redbridge need to be cleared in similar fashion: we understand this is probably to be included in Short-Term Measures for the 2009/10 financial year. We very much hope that this will be confirmed.