11 June 2013
Sewers are being cleared in South Hinksey. The main sewer has been found to be badly blocked. There are many places in the pipe where groundwater is getting in – we hope these will be repaired by relining the pipe. Thames Water are having this work done following the sewer overflows in November and December 2012.
26 December 2012
Water levels in the area have crept up slowly today and are on the verge of flooding the lowest-lying houses in South Hinksey. The main-line rail track at Kennington is flooded.
South Hinksey, Christmas Day 2012
25 December 2012
Overflowing sewers being emptied on behalf of Thames Water (TW) in South Hinksey on Christmas Day. A big thank you to the men doing the work for the last few days and right through the Christmas season.
Sewer flooding has been a problem in parts of Botley, North and South Hinksey and Kennington for some years, but notably worse in the last three or four. Heavy rain regularly results in manholes overflowing with foul effluent. Before and during the November river floods, sewage overflowed in large amounts in South Hinksey, into houses, gardens and streets. The contaminated effluent entered local watercourses – pollution reports have been filed by the Environment Agency. Nicola Blackwood, MP, called a Public Meeting in South Hinksey. In a packed hall, Thames Water apologised for what had happened, and that some failings of theirs had not helped. They agreed, among other things, to publish plans to address hydraulic overload, blockages and the upgrade of Littlemore pumping station, to include an overview of timelines.
In the threatened floods now, TW tankers have been in South Hinksey regularly to empty the sewers, making a great improvement on November. The community now awaits the promised plans. There must be serious problems somewhere, which desperately need sorting out, because the sewers overflow when there is no river flooding – and more seriously in the last few years.
The Abingdon Road area had very similar problems in the November floods, with tankers employed to relieve the sewers.
Sewers get overloaded in flood conditions in parts of the Botley Road area.
30 November 2012
Our MPs, Andrew Smith and Nicola Blackwood, have visited flooded areas to see the problems and how defences were working.
Oxford East MP Andrew Smith said: ‘The Environment Agency, City Council and Emergency Services have done a good job. I saw for myself the effectiveness of the barrier by Hinksey Lake and the pumping operation in Vicarage Road, where we had 3 feet of water in 2007. The measures pressed for by the Oxford Flood Alliance and put in place have made a big difference; but it is all still on a knife-edge, and we must all keep up the pressure for more works to reduce the risks still further’.
Nicola Blackwood, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, visited areas on the Botley Road and in South Hinksey before moving on to Abingdon. She saw flood defences working well at Bullstake Close, Botley Road. In sharp contrast, in South Hinksey there was flooding of seven houses, with water which seems very likely to have been contaminated by overflowing sewers. Ms Blackwood is taking up this and other issues on behalf of residents.
Sewers and/or surface water systems appear to have been overloaded too in the Grandpont area, and parts at least of the Botley Road area. This is of great concern and demands urgent investigation and remedy.
September 2011
The Vale of White Horse District Council has installed new culverts under a causeway across a field next to the village. This will keep flood water moving rather than pooling in this field. Thank you to District Engineer Peter Dela.
Edit: here in action in 2012, draining the field at the top:
25 November 2010
Our third Annual Public Meeting was held at the West Oxford Democrats Club, Osney Island today.
Very many thanks to the Club for once again providing us with a warm and comfortable venue – not to mention the bar!
The meeting was attended by over 80 people. We had had some concern that numbers might be down as it is now 3 years since a major Oxford flood, but thanks to Andy Webber’s efforts in distributing flyers, that did not happen. A big thank you to everyone who came out on a very cold night.
It was good to see Andrew Smith, MP for Oxford East, who represents many flooded people along the Abingdon Road and elsewhere. He had with him a copy of our Building on Success, and has asked us to keep him in the picture about things at Redbridge, which affect his constituents as well as those further west. We are delighted that he said he will support us in getting necessary flood risk reduction work done there.
Flooded people from many parts of Oxford were present as were City and County Councillors and officers from City and Environment Agency. Among them it was good to see our previous Flood Stars, Nigel Bray (EA), Susanna Pressel (City and County Councillor) as well as Mary Timbrell (resident of Duke Street).
Andrew Smith, MP for Oxford East (left) and Barry Russell, Area Flood Risk Manager, Environment Agency, at OFA’s APM.
Keith Hutchence (R) of the Environment Agency was awarded our Flood Star for 2010. He was thanked for all he has done and presented with a unique bottle of “OFA Flood Star 2010” by Andy Webber.
Presentation by the EA
We were pleased to be sharing our meeting with the EA. They have been thinking about further ways to protect the Earl and Duke Street and Marlborough Court area, in particular possible ways of keeping water out of the back of properties bordering the Bulstake Stream. Barry Russell, EA Area Flood Risk Manager, presented these ideas to the meeting and answered questions. The ideas are at an early stage and residents will be consulted further; any comments in the meantime can be made direct to the EA or via your local OFA person.
Barry told the meeting about the planned pavement hump for the Botley Road end of Earl Street, which will be topped with a row of sandbags during flooding, keeping water out of the street. The County Council will be installing this in the New Year. There are also plans to provide a removable flood barrier for the alleyway into Duke Street from the east, to stop water flowing into the street from the Bulstake Stream.
Peter Rawcliffe then spoke about:
Events and work completed in 2010
January: Network Rail remove redundant level crossing bridge at Redbridge.
March: publication and launch meeting of our Building on Success, Suggestions for medium-term measures to further reduce the risk of flooding in Oxford and the surrounding area. See list of attendees at the launch meeting here.
EA clear Hinksey Stream from North Hinksey to Redbridge.
Maintaining and developing our website.
Still in progress, but now heading for a successful conclusion:
2011: in the pipeline already:
OFA’s top 4 for action in 2011:
John Mastroddi described the issues at Munday’s and Stroud’s bridges at Redbridge. See Building on Success.
Richard Thurston spoke about two things that would help Osney Island:
Mike Hamblett showed us the poor state of the weirs and sluices on Castle Mill Stream – the photo speaks for itself. Castle Mill Stream has potential to carry more water than it does, having relatively high gradients. We suggest these structures be mapped and listed and their condition and operation be examined, as a first step to improving them.
Mike then spoke of the broken down state of about 500 m of the west Thames bank above Tumbling Bay. See Building on Success. Water pours out of the river here when river levels are high, further damaging the bank in the process. We are concerned that this water may make flooding worse in the Botley Road area. The effect of the water leaving the river, compared to what would happen if it did not do so, should be investigated. As the breakdown worsens with each episode, one can expect that before long the entire bank over the 500m length will be affected – that situation should also be looked at. The bank could be repaired fairly easily.
Resilience and insurance
Nick Hills stressed that the time to install flood resilience measures in your house is when work is being done anyway – including of course after a flood. And that people should make sure this happens, not leave it to insurers – they tend to put back what was there before, chipboard floors and carpets included. Ask that the money be made available to you to spend as you see fit – see articles by Peter Rawcliffe and Nick Hills.
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!
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.
30 July 2009
Members of South Hinksey Parish Council and Peter Rawcliffe of OFA met on site in the village with Peter Dela, Chief Engineer for the Vale of White Horse District Council. Under discussion was the provision of culverts under a raised causeway which leads to the electricity substation on the edge of the village. The causeway dams back water, causing pooling right beside the village early in flood events. Now that Redbridge is being opened up there is a real prospect of getting water away early, so provision of these culverts is important. Hopefully permissions from the landowner and farmer and EA approval will be forthcoming. There seems every prospect that funding will be available from the District Council.
oxford flood alliance 