Tree in Castle Mill Stream. Reported September, cleared October 2014.
26 October 2014
Our new ‘Watcher’ of Castle Mill Stream, William Edginton, has just reported back that the trees etc obstructing Castle Mill Stream have been cleared. Good news. We’d like to recruit other ‘River Watchers’ so that obstructions can be dealt with as quickly as possible.
16 October 2014
Our own Annual Public Meeting is on Thursday 13th November 2014, 7 for 7.30pm, the Demos, Osney Island, Oxford.
All welcome. Come and learn more about the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme and long-stretch maintenance.
Ask us questions, tell us what you think, discuss topics such as upstream storage and delaying run-off. Anything about flooding.
13 October 2014
We today submitted written comments on a draft synopsis produced by the Flood Defence Group for the Thames Waterways Plan 2015-2020. A point we emphasised was the crucial importance of encouraging large riparian landowners to undertake the maintenance for which they have statutory responsibility, and providing them with practical advice on how to go about this.
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).
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.
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.
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!
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!
oxford flood alliance 