The Environment Agency has set out the latest plans for the proposed £100 million-plus Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme.
Following flooding in early 2014, flood risk management options for Oxford and Abingdon are being reviewed and progressed as the Oxford and Abingdon scheme.
The Agency, which is still in the initial stages of developing the Scheme. said it is currently exploring and testing all viable options to define a technically, environmentally and financially acceptable scheme to reduce fluvial flood risk in Oxford.
One of the options under consideration is to improve flood flow capacity through the western floodplain of Oxford with a conveyance channel..
A new channel would allow water to pass through and around Oxford more efficiently reducing the risk of flood water entering homes, businesses and disrupting transport links during a flood. A channel would also work with the natural processes of the river and the existing floodplain by spilling in to the flood plain during the larger flood events.
At present, a conveyance channel has not yet been approved or designed.
The Environment Agency is currently ensuring all necessary evidence is in place to deliver the project in line with the Major Projects Assurance and Approval route to gain Defra, HM Treasury and Cabinet Office sign off. However, there is a significant amount of investigation required to enable the business case to be prepared and approval for the scheme to go ahead will only be given following sign off of the Full Business Case.
The Agency has confirmed that it will ensure that any potential downstream impacts are fully investigated and included within the business case development. Ensuring there is no increased flood risk to any residential properties and communities downstream will be met through the design of the scheme.
The Agency said that together with partners Oxfordshire County Council (the Lead Local Flood Authority),, Oxford City Council, Vale of White Horse District Council, amongst others, it is committed to reducing flood risk in Oxfordshire, not displacing it from one area to another. In order for the scheme to obtain planning permission it will need to demonstrate, through a detailed Flood Risk Assessment, that it does not increase risk to other communities in line with the National Planning Policy Framework.
The full cost of the scheme is currently estimated at over £100 million. The scheme will attract Defra Grant in Aid under the partnership funding approach. It will also require contributions from third parties to meet the total cost.
In July the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership was awarded £26 million towards the project as part of a £108.6 million package of Growth Deal measures. The Agency said the money “goes a long way towards closing the funding gap which would enable this scheme to progress.”
Flood modelling completed in 2013, and increased local interest in finding flooding solutions, prompted the Environment Agency to begin a formal review of the Oxford flood risk management strategy recommendations in March 2014.
The Oxford and Abingdon scheme is being progressed by the Environment Agency and Oxfordshire County Council in partnership with organisations on the sponsoring group. The sponsoring group consists of representatives from each of the 3 local councils, Oxfordshire County Council (Lead Local Flood Authority), Oxford City Council and Vale of White Horse District Council, the Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC), other private partners and the Environment Agency.
Oxford has a long history of flooding - most recently in 2000, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Roads, the railway line, schools and businesses were affected and are still at risk from flooding.
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