OXFORD RESIDENTS WRITE TO PRIME MINISTER CHALLENGING HIM TO TURN HIS ‘PHOTO OPP’ FLOODING VISIT INTO ACTION
A GROUP of Oxford residents have written to the Prime Minister, challenging him to back up his recent Oxford flood ‘photo opportunity’ with decisive action.
Premier Rishi Sunak visited Oxford and Abingdon on January 7, meeting Environment Agency staff and residents affected by recent floods. There, he announced the government was investing £5.2-billion in flood defenses.
However, residents campaigning against the high-cost, and delayed-start Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme (OFAS), set to cost over £176-million, told the PM they had been campaigning for an effective scheme for Oxford for over five years, and have been part of the current public enquiry challenging the need for Compulsory Purchase Orders on over 1000 properties, and proposing alternatives which would save £70-million.
Canon Chris Sugden, who lives in North Hinksey, and one of the signatories told Mr Sunak: "We know that you will be wanting to take prompt action to deal with this long-term problem. We therefore need to bring to your attention that the scheme proposed by the Environment Agency is neither a prompt, nor an appropriate solution!"
Signatories told the prime minister that the current, proposed EA scheme is for a flood channel which is “poorly conceived, removes 10 hectares of flood storage, wastes public money, cannot begin construction for two to three years, causes huge environmental destruction, and that the scheme is objected to by 93% of local people, but is being ignored.”
The letter, copied to Secretary of State for the Environment, Steve Barclay MP, also says that the proposed channel is unnecessary (when alternatives exist), and degrades what the EA itself recognises as ‘a nationally important monument’, the existing causeway of the Old Abingdon Road. Current plans also threaten a railway embankment.
Canon Sugden said: "We were grateful that the PM chose Oxford to announce his personal commitment to flood defence. But when he said the government is investing £5.2bn of tax-payers' money in flood defenses, we had to show him how a group of hard-working residents, paying consultants out of their own pockets, soon found that the OFAS is not only wasting over £70-million in public funds, it can’t even start for two-three years!
“As a former Chancellor of the Exchequer keen to scrutinize public spending, we wanted him to know that these local schemes are often rushed through without full public consultation, and all too often, cheaper and quicker alternatives are overlooked because the EA prefer to use ‘tried and tested ’schemes, regardless.”
The signatories told the PM that they have presented to the current Public Enquiry several alternatives, developed by qualified engineers, which, although shown to be equally or more efficient in preliminary modelling, have not yet been thoroughly or equally investigated by the EA. These alternatives can begin immediately, requiring fewer CPOs, costing much less public money and take far less time to construct!
The current CPO public enquiry into the OFAS ends of 26 January. The signatories have urged the PM to consider the way the EA wastes money by not considering all alternatives and, to “support the inspector to take the best solution in the long-term public interest.”
A copy of the full letter to the PM, and details of alternatives to the OFAS scheme can be accessed a twww.hinkseyandosney.org
ENDS
For further information/interview:
Canon Chris Sugden 07808297043 csugden@ocrpl.org
(Chair, Ferry Hinksey Trust)
Paul Eddy (PR Consultant) 07923653781 paul@pauleddy.uk
(PR Consultant)
Editor’s Note:
The full signatories were: Dr Rod Chalk, North Hinksey Village, Brian Durham, New Hinksey, Former City Archaeologist, Kevin Larkin, Construction Engineer, Dr Jonathan Madden, Hydraulic Engineer, Patricia Murphy, Osney Island, Convenor, Oxford Flood and Environment Group, Dr Sally Prime, North Hinksey Village, Professor Riki Therivel, North Hinksey Lane, Botley, Environmentalist, Nicholas Wedd, North Hinksey Village, Professor Jocelyn Wogan Browne, Osney Island, Canon Dr Chris Sugden, North Hinksey Village. Convenor Hinksey and Osney Environment Group and chair of the Ferry Hinksey Trust.