It is “extraordinary” that a government agency has “suffered no consequences” for damaging a water pipe below a crucial Oxford bridge, a councillor has said.

An Environment Agency boat struck the pipe underneath Osney Bridge, which carries Botley Road over the River Thames, in April 2021.

Repairs to the pipe shut Botley Road for several months, causing traffic misery.

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And the disruption is expected to return as Thames Water plans further repairs, which will reduce the bridge to a single lane of traffic from March 2024 to March 2025.

The Environment Agency has not apologised for the damage or paid a fine.

Susanna Pressel, councillor for Osney and St Thomas on Oxford City Council, said it was unacceptable there had been "no public apology, no fine, nothing".

“The delay in Thames Water starting their work to replace the water pipe under Osney Bridge seems to be caused mainly by the Environment Agency,” she said.

“This is extraordinary, especially in view of the fact that it was the Environment Agency that carelessly damaged the water pipe in the first place.

Oxford Mail: Environment Agency vessels at Osney Lock Environment Agency vessels at Osney Lock “They seem to have suffered no consequences for this – no public apology, no fine, nothing.

“I wouldn’t want to see the public sector Environment Agency pay a fine to private sector Thames Water.

"But one would have thought that the least they can do is to reply quickly to questions from Thames Water and to be as helpful as possible, which they have not been doing so far.”

The three-phase repair project by Thames Water will close the pedestrian footpath, cycle lane and carriageway on the northside of the bridge.

The River Thames under the bridge will be closed to boats in March 2024, and again between November 2024 and March 2025.

Thames Water has been criticised for not coinciding the work with Network Rail’s hugely disruptive closure of Botley Road.

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Osney Bridge has hardly been used since Network Rail started its £161m scheme to improve Oxford railway station in April 2023.

But when Botley Road reopens in October 2024, Osney Bridge will have a heavy traffic flow, which is when the restrictions by Thames Water will be put in place.

MPs, councillors and business owners have warned there will be traffic chaos.

Thames Water has the ability to recover costs from third parties for damage to its assets once repairs have been completed.

But a Thames Water spokeswoman would not confirm if the company would seek costs from the Environment Agency after the Osney Bridge work is finished.

An Environment Agency spokeswoman said the “position of the pipe is a matter for Thames Water”.

She also claimed another boat hit the pipe shortly after it was clipped by the Environment Agency vessel.