PLANS to double the size of Seacourt Park-and-Ride car park have sparked flooding fears from neighbours.

Residents of Botley Road and surrounding streets are worried that creating 700 new spaces on what is currently a green field would make problems caused by heavy rain worse.

Homeowners raised their concerns with Oxford City Council officers at a drop-in-session on the plans at the Town Hall on Thursday.

Earl Street resident Andy Webber, whose house has flooded four times in 14 years, said: “We’re all concerned because they’re going to be building on the flood plain.

“If you put something into a bucket of water it will overflow. Whatever they do they’re going to displace water.

“I am fully supportive of the park-and-ride expansion, so long as it doesn’t make flooding worse.”

Another Earl Street resident, Nick Hills, said he wanted a cast-iron guarantee from the Environment Agency that flooding would not be made worse.

He added: “There are porous surfaces to reduce the effect, but whatever they put down won’t be as porous as what’s there at the moment.”

Botley Road was closed for several days running during floods in January and February last year.

The Environment Agency this week began ground surveys for a new £125m flood relief channel which would divert flood waters around the city.

It would run from the Thames close to Seacourt Park-and-Ride to rejoin the river somewhere near Sandford-on-Thames, but work is not due to begin for several years.

The city council is hoping to start expanding Seacourt car park next spring and have it open for use in summer 2017. It currently has 794 spaces.

The aim is to help reduce traffic in the city centre with a special focus on encouraging people to park and cycle into Oxford.

Fareeda Ahmed, from the council’s planning consultant Turley, said it was aware of the flood risk and looking at how best to address it. The company is considering permeable or porous surfaces which would allow water to drain though.

She said: “We will have to prove to the council in our planning application that we have a robust strategy in place.”

The council also plans to create a new pedestrian and cycle entrance to the car park, east of the Johnsons car showroom site in Botley Road.

The entrance would have new cycle parking spaces along it.

Project manager Nick Twigg said: “Cycle use is of paramount importance in this plan.

“We are encouraging people to use bikes, particularly because it is the closest park-and-ride to the city centre.”

Other plans include a new undercover waiting area with public toilets and vending machines.

A second drop-in information session is taking place at West Oxford Community Centre in Botley Road today from 10am to 1pm.

To give your feedback on the plans, email fareeda.ahmed@turley.co.uk or call 0207 851 4033 by Thursday, October 1.