THE Environment Agency has spent £130,000 on barriers to protect a vulnerable part of Oxford from flooding.

When the flood risk is high, the barricades will go up alongside Hinksey Lake, to prevent water flooding homes in Vicarage Lane and Lake Street.

Now residents in the area can view the barriers, called demountables, at an open day to be held in Hinksey Park, off Lake Street, next Tuesday between 1pm and 3pm.

Environment Agency experts will be at the event with Amanda Nobbs, chairman of the Thames Regional Flood Defence Committee, city council leader Bob Price, as well as emergency services and the barrier makers.

EA spokesman Keith Hutchence said: “It’s a chance for people to come down and see what we are doing and ask questions.

“The demountables act like high-tech sandbags and can be turned quickly and efficiently into a wall.

“On the day, we will deploy barriers between Hinksey Lake and local houses to show where the 320-metre run of demountables will be sited if there is a threat of flooding from the lake.

“We will also be demonstrating a co-ordinated response to flooding, working alongside our colleagues from the city council and Oxfordshire fire and rescue service.”

The barriers form part of a £1.8m programme of short-term measures for the city.

Last winter, silt and overgrown vegetation was removed from the Seacourt Stream and Bulstake Stream in West Oxford.

This year, the agency has also carried out channel improvements on the Hinksey Drain between Redbridge and Kennington and new culverts are currently being installed upstream of the Old Abingdon Road.

Geoff Bell, the EA’s area project manager, said: “We want to show residents in South Oxford what we are doing to reduce the risk of flooding in their community.

“In the past two years, we have invested more than £2m in speeding up flood-alleviation measures in the city.

“This includes the work we are currently doing to install new culverts in the Hinksey Drain in Redbridge, which will help remove a pinch point on the Oxford river system and help residents in both Abingdon Road and Botley Road.”

In July last year, the agency unveiled 410 metres of demountable barriers to protect East Street, West Street and South Street on Osney Island.

Brian Durham, Lake Street resident and co-chairman of the South Oxford Flood Action Group, said: “We are delighted that these have been bought.

“We would have preferred a permanent defence but that wasn’t on offer, so this is the next best thing.

“We are hoping there isn’t going to be another flood, but if there is then we hope these barriers will be available. I have seen them in action in East Street in Osney and they were very impressive.”