Planning permission has been granted for an Oxford City Council scheme to reduce the flood risk to 110 homes in Northway and Marston.
The Norhway and Marston Flood Alleviation Scheme phase 1 planning application has recently been given unanimous approval by the East Area Planning Committee meeting.
Work on phase 1 of the £2.2 million scheme aims to begin by autumn 2016.
Northway and Marston wards have been hit by flash flooding in the past due to their close proximity to Peasmoor Brook and the Headington Hill Tributary. It can take as little as half an hour of torrential rain to cause flooding of properties in the area.
The City Council has successfully gained funding from Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership Local Growth Fund (£600,000) and the Environment Agency (£1.6m) to deliver the project.
Permission to build the Northway and Marston Flood Allievation Scheme has been sought in two parts.
Councillor John Tanner, Executive Board Member for a Clean and Green Oxford, said:
“Oxford City Council is not the flood authority but we plunged in because we know just how horrendous it is having your home under water. We won £2.2m to protect 110 homes in Marston and Northway from flooding.”
The planning application for Phase 2, which was submitted on 9 June, will be decided at a meeting on 7 September.
The flood alleviation work will include natural embankments being installed, the channel realigned and a wetland reserve created to use as temporary flood storage. Temporary storage means that when the area is hit with torrential rain, water is channelled to specific areas, held there temporarily and then released into the drainage system and waterways at a pace they can cope with. This prevents flooding of homes and businesses, roads and pavements.
If planning permission for Phase 2 is granted, it is hoped the work on both Phase 1 and Phase 2 will be completed in mid-2017.
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