Peter Rawcliffe of OFA met with Peter Collins of the Environment Agency today. Discussion was to take forward proposals to get riparian owners to undertake maintenance of local waterways.
Ownership maps will be shared; a site visit was arranged for 19 March to the Coldharbour area of Hinksey Stream where there is serious, longstanding, obstruction; we hope a representative from Oxford City Council will be able to attend too.
South Hinksey: groundwork for temporary flood barriers
Permissions have to be obtained, plans drawn and contracts agreed, so it will be a time till diggers appear. Funding is thanks to the Vale of White Horse District Council. Execution is shared between the Council and the Environment Agency. Surveying has begun. Work on the ground is now expected to begin in September.
South Hinksey’s community demo last October sought financial support for groundwork so we would be able to use temporary flood barriers to protect the village. Great news that our Vale District Council has agreed to pay for this groundwork – needed to level the land, and provide for crossing a field ditch.
Permissions have to be sought, plans drawn and contracts agreed, so it will be some time till diggers appear. Surveying has already begun.
While the Environment Agency cannot promise barriers till the day, the omens are good. The ground will be ready, as will our community team to put the barrier up.
From L: Barry Russell (EA); Nicola Blackwood, MP; David Cameron, Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister, Mr David Cameron, visited Oxford today. This was related to an announcement that £42 million should be available to the Oxford FAS. While this was anticipated, as Flood Defence Grant in Aid money allowable for the proposed project, to have it announced in this public way is very welcome as it adds impetus and weight to the proposal.
It does not imply though that the Scheme is a done deal: there is a rigorous assessment procedure and further public consultation to be gone through before the Treasury finally decides whether the project should go ahead.
It is also the case that no specific scheme, formally proposed, exists yet: that is still being worked on.
It was good to meet the new Chairman of the Environment Agency, Philip Dilley.
13 November 2014
Our 8th Annual Public Meeting attracted a good audience, including local politicians. This year we had three guest speakers as well as presentations from OFA on matters concerning local areas.
John Copley and Barry Russell were made OFA Flood Stars. John has expertly chaired the Oxford Area Flood Partnership since its inception in 2007. Working behind the scenes, he and the partnership have achieved a very great deal in this time. Meanwhile, a well known presence in his waders in every recent flood, Barry, from the Environment Agency, is a key figure in managing flooding on the ground. He has also been involved in many of the flood prevention measures taken here in recent years. We are immensely grateful to them both for all they have done, all the hard work and long hours put in. They have made a real difference.
Ben Ward spoke about Oxford Flood Network’s plans to install water level monitors in the Oxford area to provide live information on water levels, to a computer or smartphone, during flooding, on a much more local scale than at present available. This is an exciting prospect and we welcome it. Ben is looking for people who are prepared to have a (compact) sensor device sited, say, in their garden, or other suitable location.
Nick Ross and Matthew Rose presented Thames Water’s plans for a three-year comprehensive survey (already just begun) of main sewers throughout the Oxford area. This is very welcome as there have been many serious problems with foul sewer overflow, especially during floods.
Richard Harding and Barry Russell of the Environment Agency explained the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme. This c. £125 million scheme is intended to reduce the risk of flooding in Oxford to once in 75 years (though some areas may still be affected more often) – assuming that climate change does not conspire to make things worse (as it well may). A lively discussion ensued, which will no doubt be continued elsewhere.
Thank you to everybody who came and for the generous donations to support our work.
On-going maintenance is essential. People can help by telling us if they see obstructions. These branches and rubbish on Bulstake Stream were cleared promptly by the Environment Agency in November 2014 after being reported to us by members of the public.
7 October 2014
William Edginton from Jericho has helpfully reported several obstructions (trees etc) on the Castle Mill Stream – we have passed this on to the Environment Agency who plan to deal with them in the next 2 to 3 weeks. William has also offered to watch this stream for us and report any problems in future – a most welcome offer, thank you. Thanks also to the EA for getting on with this and other clearances.
1 October 2014
OFA attended today’s OAFP meeting:
We asked the EA about progress on our proposals for working with them to ensure that riparian owners maintain the long rural stretches of waterways for which they (the owners) are legally responsible. The EA have prepared an ownership map as we agreed when last we met, so we hope to meet with them again soon.
The problem of flood water (groundwater?) in the back gardens on both sides of Earl Street was discussed. It is hoped that pumps in two gardens and property-level protection will resolve the problem: OFA and the City Council are working together on it.
OFA’s recent reconnaissance trip by canoe from South Hinksey to Redbridge discovered several serious obstructions, trees and so on. We showed photographs of some of them today and they have been reported to the EA as needing removal.
22 August 2014
Members of the Steering Group had a very helpful meeting with Holly Foreman of the EA. Discussion included progress on the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme; developing a Q & A about this scheme; organising long-stretch maintenance by riparian owners (where progress has been slow).
May 2014
Oxford MPs Nicola Blackwood (Oxford West & Abingdon) and Andrew Smith (Oxford East) have been very active on flooding, both in supporting people and in lobbying for action to reduce it. Flooding does not recognise political boundaries and our MPs have worked together when appropriate, to good effect. They have both supported our own efforts, for which we thank them. Here they give us their current views:
The human and economic cost of the flooding our local communities must endure every year is totally unacceptable. Our city and surrounding villages urgently need long-term, sustainable flood defences to protect homes and keep Oxfordshire open for business, rain or no rain. The Western Relief Channel will protect families and businesses from flooding and we hope that government, local authorities and business alike will work together to make it happen. At the same time, we must ensure that nearby towns at significant flood risk, like Abingdon, also get the long-term, strategic defences they need, and we will keep the pressure up to ensure that all residents in our constituencies can know that everything possible is being done to mitigate flood risk in the area.
We need urgent action on our drainage infrastructure, a point which I have raised repeatedly with both Thames Water and the Environment Secretary. Hard-working local groups such as Oxford Flood Alliance and the Ock Valley Flood Group have done a great deal to highlight these problems. I held a half-day meeting with Thames Water in February to discuss the problems that have arisen in each part of my constituency and how this appalling state of affairs can be more effectively prevented in the future.
I am pleased that local flood defence measures implemented since 2007 have been successful this year in protecting people and property. But other properties have not escaped and countless residents have been affected in other ways such as disruption of road and rail transport, and loss of business. I continue to put pressure on local and central Government, response agencies and utility companies to improve and strengthen local defences further.
I have raised with the Secretary of State and the Environment Agency the issue of establishing more regular maintenance of key watercourses around Oxford, including the Hinksey and Osney Stream areas. Riparian owners must be encouraged to carry out maintenance along their river banks to keep the river working well. The Environment Agency can play a key role in advising and encouraging landowners to do this.
I have sent a series of written Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, asking that his Department look again at the importance of dredging.
Flooding is a very serious problem for Oxfordshire and what we need now are long-term solutions. I have been raising all of these issues locally and in Parliament and I will continue to do so. I will also remain in close contact with local people, flood action groups, Thames Water and the Environment Agency, vigorously representing the concerns of my constituents.
Thanks. Throughout the flooding crises, I have kept in touch with residents and taken up concerns with the relevant agencies as well as raising questions in Parliament. I have greatly valued the advice and dedicated work of the South Oxford Flood Action Group and the Oxford Flood Alliance.
The worst impact of both episodes of flooding this year has been on residents unable to use toilets because of flood water – surface flooding and groundwater – inundating the sewerage system. I visited residents in both of the areas affected in my constituency: the Weirs Lane area and Western Road area. I took this up with Thames Water at the time and subsequently, and have held a residents meeting. Thames Water have undertaken to clear up any sewerage residue in gardens, and to complete a general clean up of silt from affected sewers, coordinated with the councils responsible for a prior clean-up of surface water drains. The latter has to be done first, as matter from the council clean up often ends up in the sewers! Thames Water have confirmed to me that they will complete a catchment area study of sewers in Oxford. I will continue to press for improvements.
The severity of problems in the Weirs Lane area was such that the City Council put Portacabin toilets and washing facilities in affected streets, and moved some vulnerable residents into alternative accommodation.
Each time there are floods lessons are learnt. Properties have been saved from flooding thanks to the barrier and pumping operation in Vicarage Road and Lake Street, applying lessons of the 2007 floods. It was noticeable the impact this year which the fire service pumping operation had in clearing water from Abingdon Road. It raises the question of whether a bund alongside the allotments coupled with more pumping might reduce the flooding risk in the Weirs Lane area, and the City Council have assured me this will be investigated with the Environment Agency.
I have raised with government and the insurance industry the availability and affordability of household insurance for properties affected by flooding risk. I have also helped individual constituents having difficulty with getting cover. I support the need of businesses also to have access to affordable insurance.
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