Reducing flood risk in Oxford
The Oxford Flood Risk Management Strategy sets out a sustainable solution to reduce flood risk to people and properties, while conserving and enhancing Oxford’s very special environment. The Environment Agency adopted the strategy in 2010.
Completed actions
We have already:
- implemented two programmes of short-term measures, at a cost of £2.5M, to reduce flood risk in Oxford;
- carried out maintenance on the city's river network;
- worked with partners to undertake small schemes around the city to reduce the risk of river flooding to properties;
- made engineering improvements to the city’s river system;
- removed silt and overgrown vegetation along stretches of the Bulstake Stream, Hinksey Stream, Hinksey Drain and Seacourt Stream;
- provided demountable barriers to reduce flood risk for properties at Osney Island and Hinksey Park;
- planned with our partners how to provide a more co-ordinated response to future floods.
Future actions
We intend to:
- carry out a feasibility study for a local flood scheme in Wolvercote in north Oxford;
- help householders protect their property from flooding;
- improve watercourse maintenance through de-silting and clearing vegetation;
- replace flood defence assets as they reach the end of their useful life;
- improve the flood protection to more than 1,600 properties in Oxford to a 1 in 75 year standard, if the predicted effects of climate change materialise;
- provide environmental enhancements, including creating new habitat.
We will regularly review the strategy to ensure that we monitor flood predictions in and around Oxford. This work will help us observe the effects of climate change.
We will plan for a conveyance channel around the west and south of Oxford, if the reviews recommend it. We also have plans ready for upstream flood storage, if needed.
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