RESIDENTS in a west Oxfordshire village hope work on a bridge’s foundations will reduce the threat of a repeat of the July 2007 floods which damaged more than 40 homes.

An earth bank and a shallow channel are being dug across a field at Ascott-under-Wychwood as part of a project to protect the foundations of a bridge which carries the Cotswold Line rail route over the River Evenlode just north of the village.

Parish council chairman Stuart Fox said: “It has taken longer than we would have liked but Network Rail has been very co-operative and helpful and open about the whole process.

“Hopefully, this will remove one of the main problem areas when it comes to flooding in the village.

“We will be well-placed if there’s another flood.”

The village suffered severe flooding in 2007 when the swollen river burst its banks following a torrential downpour on Friday, July 20.

A farm track running under the bridge restricted the flow of water, while the railway embankments either side of the bridge acted like a dam.

A huge volume of water which was trying to head downstream towards the River Thames at Cassington spilled out into low-lying parts of the village.

Network Rail has called in contractors Dyer & Butler to carry out a £320,000 scheme to improve water flow through the bridge when the river level rises above normal.

The contractors will smooth out a bend in the river and deepen the channel as it approaches the bridge. They will also replace the farm track with a narrower walkway for inspections of the bridge.

Another key feature of the work will be the creation of the bank and channel – known as a bund and swale by engineers – in a field adjacent to the bridge.

When the river rises out of its banks, the channel will help keep water on course to pass quickly under the bridge.

The high bank will stop it spilling out towards houses in Shipton Road and around the village green, which were the worst-hit areas of the village in 2007.

As the river level goes down, the swale will act as a soakaway to help dispose of flood water.

Work has also been carried out on a nearby road bridge which carries London Lane over the Evenlode, to clear out debris from the arches to improve the water flow.