A number of West Oxford residents have recently been asking about how the existing right of way along Hinksey Causeway, also known as Monk’s Causeway, will be affected by the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme. This is the footpath which runs from The Fishes in North Hinksey to Osney Mead.

Information about footpath diversions is available here on the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme website. Scroll down to the relevant section. The impacts of the diverted public footpaths were assessed in the Environmental Statement Chapter 6 Recreation and Public Access, which forms part of the planning application for the scheme.

Two sections of Hinksey Causeway will be affected.

The first is the section which runs from Osney Mead past the electricity sub-station to where the ‘electric way’ starts (photo below). This path has to be moved 10m east to allow for the construction of a flood wall and flood gate, part of the flood defence which will run down the eastern side of Oatland’s Park and extends down to this area. This section of the path will be stone surfaced.

In the case of the other affected section, the issue is that the existing right of way doesn’t correspond to the path people actually use. OFAS will use the route people actually walk, so the legal right of way is being re-registered so the legal rights apply to the route people actually use. This section will have timber decking, a boardwalk. It will cross the two stage channel – an area which will be boggy at wet times of year.

Re-alignment of a public right of way is a legal process, hence the formal notices which have appeared recently in the press and along the path. The Environment Agency has to follow this process to establish the new legal rights of way. This path will remain a right of way and, apart from the initial section at Osney Mead, will follow the current route.

The footpath will be temporarily closed while it’s being constructed, this includes making a new footbridge, but people will have Willow Walk as an alternative.

This is a summary of information supplied to us by the Environment Agency under Open Public Licence.