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ITV news in South Hinksey

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Adrian Porter from OFA was interviewed by ITV yesterday as part of a report on the flooding in South Hinksey. The news item focused on the failure of the Environment Agency to fully deploy defences around the village last Thursday, 4 January. After torrential rain on the Thursday evening, stream culverts in the village were overwhelmed, a large garden at the top of the village was under 1m of water and the sewers surcharged with enough pressure to lift the manhole covers. All that flow ended up in the lower part of the village and was prevented from flowing away by the flood water.

Without pumps and no effective barrier, residents had no alternative but to watch the water rise and do their best to protect their homes. Flood water, pluvial water and sewage water combining to create the worst flood event in ten years.

It took until Saturday evening for the barrier to be completed, pumps deployed and the water to be reduced to below-threshold levels throughout the community. But by then residents had endured serious flooding including within properties, and massive personal & emotional disruption for three days.

The defences are now functioning and floodwater has drained from the village. Sam Holder, the ITV reporter, made a forceful case for having permanent defences in place rather than relying on temporary measures. He asked why, after 10 years of development, the flood scheme is still stuck in planning? The problem he said is ‘bureaucracy’.

Built into the OFAS scheme is a permanent bund for South Hinksey, which would provide early benefit within the implementation of the scheme, and protect the community from all events up to and including 1% AEP (1 in 100 year event). The deployment decision would be reduced to that of pumping equipment and the risk of a delayed or incomplete barrier would be removed. The water seal from a bund would greatly exceed that provided by the temporary defences meaning fewer or smaller pumps would be needed and the barrier, personnel and pumps not needed here would be free to use elsewhere.

This event has proven that the village is defendable, but also that we need a permanent solution that provides the same or better benefit more reliably. That solution is the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme.

More pictures of Oxford flooding

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Abingdon Rd, still closed after 3 days
Fire Service pumping at Weir’s Lane
Barriers along New Hinksey Lake
Pump in Vicarage Lane
Flooding behind Marlborough Rd
Kennington Rd under water
Munday’s bridge under the railway, Kennington
Road flooded at North Hinksey
Traffic negotiating deep floodwater at western end of Botley Rd

Rishi Sunak visits Oxford

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was in Oxford today reviewing the response to local flooding. Simon Collings from OFA met him with two other local residents on Osney Island and spoke to him about the current flooding and the response. This included the need for support from the government for the Environment Agency and flood relief more generally. The Prime Minister then went into the EA yard where he met members of the team who have been responding to the current emergency. There’s a brief report on Yahoo here. After the visit, OFA wrote to the Prime Minister urging him to use his influence to secure support for the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme.

Channel 4 news in Oxford

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Channel 4 news ran a report of flooding in Oxford yesterday evening (6 January). The reporter, Jane Dodge, interviewed Joe Cuthbertson from the Environment Agency, and OFA introduced her to a local Osney Resident at risk of flooding who was interviewed. The news item also included footage of Bulstake Close, and mentioned the proposed Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme and the public inquiry.

If the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme were in place this wouldn’t be happening

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River levels in Oxford remain high this morning, but have now stabilised. Some homes and businesses have flooded in the last two days, and thousands more people in the city have faced a stressful 48hrs as the response services have battled to contain floodwater. If the proposed Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme were in place today none of this would have been happening. At these kinds of river levels roads would have remained open, properties and businesses would have stayed dry, and local residents would not have had to endure sleepless nights.

Because we don’t have the scheme in place we have to rely on temporary barriers and pumps to keep flood water at bay. Deployment of these defences depends on Environment Agency and Council staff working long hours to erect and maintain them, often in difficult circumstances. For the most part the response has been effective this time, but in South Hinksey the weather conditions on the night of 5 January meant temporary barriers could not be fully erected and low lying areas of the village were inundated. Barriers and pumps are now working and floodwater has been cleared. If OFAS were in place the village would not have gone through this ordeal, and until the scheme is built communities remain vulnerable to temporary defences failing.

South Hinksey 5 Jan 2024
South Hinksey 6 Jan 2024

Oxford is used to floods having the long slow buildup. This time river levels rose very fast. One question which will need to be looked at when the operational response is evaluated is whether defences were in place early enough in some locations.

OFA believes the big flood scheme is needed now. If proof were still needed of why the scheme is essential, the last few days have provided it.

Flood levels stabilising in Oxford

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River levels have stabilised over night and are expected to fall slowly over the coming days. The main Thames south of Osney Lock reached 3.84m at 2.30am and has now fallen to 3.82m. The Bulstake and Seacourt streams have fallen slightly from peaks overnight and are now stable. These are the highest levels we have seen since the 2014 floods, almost exactly 10 years ago.

Abingdon and Botley Roads remain affected by flood water, with impact on buses, cyclists and predestrians. We’ve had a few reports of property flooding. Some businesses on Osney Mead have been flooded while others have had business disrupted by the high water levels.

Botley Rd 6 Jan 2024
Offices on Osney Mead 6 Jan 2024

Residents in South Hinksey had a difficult time on 4 and 5 January, but with pumps and barriers now working water levels in the village are starting to fall.

Two members of OFA appeared in a BBC South Today broadcast yesterday evening, Richard Thurston and Simon Collings. You can watch the news item on BBC iPlayer.

Simon Collings of OFA being interviewed by the BBC 5 January 2024

Osney and Binsey added to flood warning

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The flood warning for Oxford was extended yesterday to include Binsey, Osney and Osney Island. Water built up in the streets at the southern end of Osney Island at the end of the afternoon causing alarm to local residents. The water rose rapidly in part due to the heavy rain. OFA asked the Environment Agency to provide a pump which arrived a few hours later. This morning the roads are clear of water. Some properties on the island remain threatened by the stream which runs to the west of the island. The EA is expected to deploy temporary barriers in West St today which is flooded at the northern end.

Crossroads of South St and Bridge St, Osney Isalnd
Lower end of Bridge St, Osney Island

River levels are now at the point where the February 2021 floods peaked, and the river is still rising. The 2021 event was the worst since the 2014 floods when 55 properties in Oxford were flooded.

Barriers deployed at South Hinksey and Bulstake Close

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Defensive barriers were deployed earlier today at Bulstake Close (City Council) and in South Hinksey (Environment Agency). Barriers are expected to go up on West Street on Osney Island tomorrow. Below are pictures of some of the flooding and of the defences.

Thames south of Osney Lock, flooded towpath
Flood barrier at back of Bullstake Close
Manor Road, South Hinksey
Fields south of Devil’s Backbone
Environment Agency team erecting defences at South Hinksey
Munday’s Bridge, Kennington

Flood warning for parts of Oxford

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The Environment Agency issued a flood warning at 9.32am today for the River Thames and tributaries at New Botley, New Hinksey, North Hinksey, South Hinksey and Grandpont. The EA advise property flooding is expected. Their statement says: ‘River levels are rising on the River Thames and the watercourses around Oxford, including the Bulstake Stream as a result of heavy rainfall. Therefore, flooding of low lying land, roads and property is expected later this afternoon 04/01/2024, especially in the areas closest to the river in New Botley. Areas most at risk are properties on Botley Road, and the roads off Botley Road in New Botley.’

This is likely to be the most serious flooding we have seen since January 2014, the last big event. On 9 January 2014 the Thames south of Osney Lock peaked at 3.93m, the Bulstake Stream at 3.02m, and the Seacourt at 3.08. Current levels are around 30cms below those 2014 levels, but the river is sill rising with more heavy rain forecast. Current levels are higher than the Dec 2020 floods, and approaching the levels reached in February 2021, the previous worst flooding since 2014.

We understand that temporary defences will be erected at South Hinksey today and that the City Council is deploying defences behind Bulstake Close. The EA and local authorities are keeping the situation under close review and have teams ready to respond as need arises.

Everyone living in the affected areas should take the warnings seriously, monitor the evolving situation, and consider whether they need to take action to protect themselves and their property.

       Bottom of Ferry Hinksey Rd this morning. End of Willow Walk also flooded.

Park & Ride extension closed 101 days in 2023

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The Seacourt Park & Ride extension is filling with water again as river levels in the area rise. Last year the facility was closed for a total on 101 days, much of this due to flooding or the risk of flooding, though towards the end of the year it remained shut even when not wet. In the planning application for the site, the City Council estimated that the extension would be closed on average 10 days a year due to flooding. The facility was called ‘essential infrastructure’ at the time of the planning application. OFA opposed the plans, which involved a small loss of floodplain capacity.

        Seacourt P&R extension today 2 Jan 2024 – large puddles on the left.