Severe flooding in Oxford has shown the need for a flood channel in the city, according to the leader of a campaign group.

The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme, which would see a five km long stream dug through the floodplain in the west of the city, has been planned for a number of years.

But it has been held up by objections and other difficulties including the compulsory purchase of land, and a public inquiry.

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The £176m scheme by the Environment Agency, working together with partners including Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council, and Oxford University, is intended to divert flooding away from homes, businesses, services, and major transport routes.

As flood water subsided, Simon Collings, of Oxford Flood Alliance, said the flood channel would have prevented this week's flooding in the city.

He spoke after residents and businesses struggled since Friday to cope with flooding in and around their homes, and major disruption to transport and deliveries.

Oxford Mail: Flooding in Abingdon RoadThe Abingdon Road was only fully reopened to traffic on Wednesday afternoon after the county council shut it before the weekend, and surface water on Botley Road made driving conditions difficult.

Some residents' garages were flooded in Abingdon and parts of Wallingford were also badly hit by flooding.

Mr Collings said: "Oxford is currently experiencing the highest river levels since 2014.

"This is almost exactly 10 years since the 2014 flood, which peaked January 9.

Oxford Mail: A bus in Botley Road"Homes and businesses have flooded, and thousands of people in the city have faced a stressful 48 hours as the response services have battled to contain floodwater.

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"If the proposed Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme were in place today none of this would have been happening.

"At these kinds of river levels roads would have remained open, properties and businesses would have stayed dry, and local residents would not have had to endure sleepless nights.

Because we don't have the scheme the city has to rely on temporary barriers and pumps which have to be put in place by EA and Council staff."

Mr Collings added: "This time the flooding came on very fast and some of the defences weren't in place quickly enough, in South Hinksey for example. There's a huge amount of effort, time and cost goes into the flood response. If OFAS were in place we wouldn't be doing this at these levels of flooding."

Oxford Mail: Flooding in AbingdonResidents living close to the River Ock in Abingdon lost fridges and freezers in their garages when flood water got into their homes.

Environment Agency flood barriers once stored in the town have been removed and there is no current EA plan to tackle flooding in Abingdon.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

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