Oxford flood alleviation scheme wait 'frustrating', MP says

An MP has said the wait for a flood alleviation scheme is "frustrating", after parts of a city were once again submerged after a storm.

Roads, homes and cars are under water in Oxford following heavy rainfall.

A public inquiry into the future of a £176m flood alleviation scheme in the city is currently under way.

Anneliese Dodds, MP for Oxford East, said such projects needed to be accelerated for the sake of those residents who were repeatedly affected.

A number of temporary flood barriers have been put up in the city, and some roads and paths have been closed following heavy rain on Thursday, in aftermath of Storm Henk.

Oxford Direct Services is providing sandbags for houses in at-risk locations, as well as installing flood barriers and pumps in several areas.

Abingdon Road was shut on Friday evening due to rising water levels, and did not reopen in time for Monday morning's rush hour.

Seacourt Park & Ride is temporarily closed, and major bridge replacement works near Oxford Station have also been impacted.

There are several flood warnings and alerts for Oxfordshire, though water levels are expected to fall over the course of the day.

The fire service rescued a person stranded on a boat stuck in floodwater on Temple Island near Henley-on-Thames on Monday morning.

Discussing the flood alleviation scheme, Ms Dodds said: "We need to be really speeding up these kinds of projects, ultimately because they are so important for people right now who have had a very, very scary time, and a very difficult time."

One of the biggest flood schemes in the country, the project involves creating a new stream through the existing floodplain to the west of Oxford, diverting floodwater away from built-up areas.

The Environment Agency (EA) has made a Compulsory Purchase Order to carry it out, though some campaigners have voiced concerns about the damage it would cause to the environment, and the cost of the project.

Ms Dodds added: "We've had the same pattern over and over and over again over the last few years, where you've had predicted heavy rainfall… and then [the government] forget about it until the next winter."

She called for regular taskforce meetings "so that we're ready for the next time, rather than this last minute dot com approach".

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Oxford over the weekend, meeting EA staff and residents affected by the floods.

He said the government had invested £5.2bn in flood defences.

However, a report by the The National Audit Office in November said the number of extra homes to be protected from flooding in England has been cut by almost half, due to inflation having an impact on the amount of money invested.

Oxford also experienced significant flooding in 2007, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Andrew Scott, head of waste treatment for Thames Water in the region, has apologised for sewage flowing into properties during the flooding, describing it as an "awful thing to happen".

Mr Scott said: "This was a perfect storm in that we had high intensity rainfall. Some areas had half a month's rain in just 24 hours. We had exceptionally high groundwater levels for this time of year.

"That combination has simply meant our sewer system has been hydraulically-overloaded, and that backs up eventually into people's houses."

Last year the company said it planned to reduce sewage floods into properties by 17%, and external sewer floods by 14%, as part of a "record £4.7bn investment".

Ms Dodds said: "[I've] respect for the local staff but I'm afraid overall I would be giving Thames Water a pretty low mark."

But she also said there had been an "incredible effort" from a "small band of very committed people" who were erecting defences and "working around the clock".

The public inquiry for the alleviation scheme at the King's Centre, Osney Mead, Oxford, in which an independent inspector will hear the cases for and against it, is expected to last about five weeks.

A decision on the CPO is expected mid-2024. If confirmed, the EA said it could move to implement it in late 2024.

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