Policy paper

Oxford Flood Scheme

Updated 16 July 2024

The Environment Agency is working in partnership on a major new scheme to reduce flood risk in Oxford. The Oxford flood alleviation scheme will cost around £176 million and is one of the biggest flood schemes in the country. It will benefit:

• homes
• businesses
• services
• major transport routes

You can see videos, maps and information about the Oxford flood alleviation scheme on Citizen Space.

Oxford has the second fastest growing economy of all UK cities. The scheme will keep Oxford open for business and keep the economy thriving. It will also bring environmental benefits to the area in addition to reduced flood risk.

The scheme partners are:

• Environment Agency
• Oxfordshire County Council
• Oxford City Council
• Vale of White Horse District Council
• Thames Water
• Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee
• Oxford Flood Alliance
• Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership
• University of Oxford
• National Highways

Why Oxford needs a flood scheme

Oxford has a long history of flooding. Significant floods in recent decades have caused damage to homes and businesses and closed the main railway line and major roads.

The Environment Agency maintains rivers and streams in and around Oxford. This work reduces the risk from smaller floods. Significant flooding cannot be reduced by maintenance alone.

Climate change is happening now and the UK government declared a climate emergency in 2019. We saw the devastating effects of flooding across the country last winter. Climate change is expected to cause more frequent and more severe floods. The Oxford flood alleviation scheme is designed to manage flood risk in Oxford over the next 100 years.

How the scheme will work

The scheme will create a new stream with a wetland wildlife corridor that will run through the existing floodplain to the west of Oxford. This will create more space for floodwater away from built-up areas and reduce flood risk in Oxford and surrounding areas for decades to come.

The scheme will be approximately 5km long. It begins north of Botley Road and ends south of the A423 near Kennington, where the new stream joins the River Thames.

Most of this area is farmland and flood meadow. We have designed the scheme to be as natural as possible in appearance and to blend into the surrounding fields.

Material will be dug out to create:

• a new stream which will always carry water - this will look and behave like a natural stream
• a gently sloping floodplain of wetland habitat, grazing meadow and wildflowers running alongside the new stream - most of the time this will be dry

When water levels in the River Thames and other existing streams are high, water will overflow from the new stream and start to fill the lowered floodplain next to it. The scheme does not need to be turned ‘on’ or ‘off’ when floods occur. Water will simply enter the lowered floodplain as river levels rise. This draws floodwater away from built-up areas that would otherwise flood.

In major floods water will still also use the wider existing floodplain, which is mostly farmland and flood meadow. In this way the scheme is designed to work together with the natural floodplain.

The scheme keeps hard engineering to a minimum, but in some areas new structures are needed to complement the new stream.

These include:

• new bridges for footpaths and bridleways to cross the new stream
• bridges for water to pass under main roads in the south of the scheme
• earth embankments and flood walls in some places to reduce risk to houses which would otherwise still flood

Map 1: this shows the route of Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme. It begins north of Botley Road and ends south of the A423 near Kennington, where it joins the River Thames.

Flood risk to properties downstream will not increase as a result of the scheme. Flood risk will remain the same as it is now.

In December 2017, Vale of White Horse District Council commissioned an additional review of our downstream impact modelling approach.

Diagram 1: When river levels are high, the scheme will divert some flood water across the undeveloped floodplain and away from properties. The same amount of water that enters the scheme will return to the River Thames at Kennington.

How the Oxford flood alleviation scheme will benefit Oxford

The scheme will benefit everyone who lives, works in or visits Oxford. The scheme is designed to reduce risk from the size of a flood not seen in Oxford since 1947. This means it’s designed to cope with floods larger than all those Oxford has experienced in recent decades.

Homes and businesses

The scheme will reduce flood risk to all homes and businesses in Oxford currently at risk of flooding from the River Thames. The scheme will provide peace of mind to residents who are currently at risk of flooding.

Infrastructure

Flood risk to vital transport links will be reduced. This includes:

• the railway
• Botley and Abingdon roads
• other local roads

There will be fewer flood related electricity, telephone and internet disruptions. Many properties will be less likely to experience sewer flooding.

Environment

The scheme will create new wetland habitat. Wetland habitats support plants and animals adapted to living in a wet environment and are in decline across the country. Creating over 20 hectares of new wetland and around 16 hectares of floodplain meadow throughout the area will be a valuable benefit of the scheme.

The scheme will work with the natural floodplain and blend with the existing environment. The lowered ground alongside the new stream will:

• consist of wetland, grazing meadow and be seeded with wildflowers
• be landscaped to include around 4 hectares of backwaters, scrapes and ponds - with a variety of depths and sizes to encourage biodiversity of wetland and aquatic wildlife

The new stream and its associated habitat will link up existing wetland sites. This will create a wildlife corridor to the west of Oxford, further increasing biodiversity.

We are working closely with local wildlife groups on an ambitious environmental vision for the scheme. This will ensure the scheme is maintained and sees further environmental improvements in the long term.

Environmental vision

The Environment Agency has a plan to make sure that the scheme area is properly cared for and maintained after it is in place. This plan is known as the ‘environmental vision’.

The environmental vision will make sure:

• the habitats, wildlife and environmental features of the scheme area are properly maintained and continue to improve in the long term
• the scheme is a valued asset for the local community and the environment for generations to come

The Environment Agency has formed a collaborative agreement with the environmental charity Earth Trust. This will help us plan for the long term environmental and wellbeing benefits of the scheme.

Their advice will inform the scheme’s:

• environmental vision
• plans for land management
• legacy strategy

The scheme will tender for a long-term environmental partner before construction begins. The partner will be responsible for:

• habitat management and enhancement
• long term engagement with local communities
• making sure the Oxford flood alleviation scheme delivers a long-term green legacy for many decades to come

What stage is the scheme at?

The Oxford flood alleviation scheme is the best long-term solution for Oxford. The Environment Agency and all the scheme partners remain fully committed to delivering the scheme.

Planning applications

In spring 2022, we submitted our new planning application for the scheme to Oxfordshire County Council. The council held a consultation on our proposals where stakeholders, community groups and residents made comments on the scheme.

The council asked us to provide more information. This is common for a development project of this size and complexity. We submitted our response to the request for further information and the council organised a public consultation on our response. The council’s planning committee will now consider whether or not to approve the application.

You can read all information submitted to the council on the Oxfordshire County Council ePlanning system. The planning reference is MW.0027/22.

Hinksey rail sidings

We will submit a separate planning application to construct a temporary access track to the Hinksey rail sidings.

This temporary access track will allow us to remove some of the material excavated during construction by rail.

Use of the railway will depend on:

• gaining permission to access the sidings
• availability of the sidings
• agreements with the operator of the sidings

Compulsory purchase order

We made a new compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the scheme. There was a public inquiry into the CPO, led by an independent inspector, which ran from 14 November 2023 to 26 January 2024. The inspector will submit their recommendations to the Secretary of State, who will determine if the CPO should be confirmed, modified, or not confirmed.

Read more information about the Oxford flood alleviation scheme: compulsory purchase order 2023.

A CPO makes sure that all the land and rights over land for the scheme are available. It brings certainty to our plans. But this is subject to confirmation of the CPO and to other statutory processes.

We have consulted with landowners and other interested parties and will continue to do so throughout the planning and CPO process.

How this partnership scheme is being funded

This ambitious project is made possible through central government funding and local contributions. £40 million has been raised by partners. These include:

• Oxfordshire County Council
• Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee
• Oxford City Council
• Thames Water
• National Highways
• The Department for Education

Find out more

You can read the latest Oxford flood alleviation scheme newsletter.

To sign up to newsletters from the Oxford scheme email oxfordscheme@environment-agency.gov.uk.

To keep up to date with the project you can like the Oxford scheme’s Facebook page and follow them on X (formerly Twitter).

Oxfordshire County Council Flood Toolkit - this site provides valuable advice on how to prepare for a flood and what you should do during a flood. You can also download our previous newsletters from here.

The Oxford Flood Alliance is a community group and scheme partner. They campaign to reduce and protect people from flooding in the Oxford area. The site provides a community perspective on the damages of flooding and the benefits of the Oxford flood alleviation scheme.