Issued by the Ferry Hinksey Trust Press Release
For Immediate Release. 30 July 2024
OXFORD ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS SUGGEST A £70-MILLION LOCAL WASTE OF PUBLIC FUNDS IN LETTER TO CHANCELLOR AS SHE SEEKS TO CUT SOARING PUBLIC PURSE COSTS
TWO Oxford Environmental Groups have written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves claiming £70-million of public funds is being wasted on the proposed Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme (OFAS).
The letter arrived at the Treasury the same day the Chancellor told Parliament a £22-billion black hole exists in the Public Purse, leading to planned Labour manifesto projects put on hold, and the launch of a new ‘Office of Value for Money’ to scrutinise how public funds are spent. Campaigners against the destructive and unnecessary 5 kilometre channel proposed as part of the OFAS scheme say the Chancellor must use every opportunity to save public funds, including turning her words into practice and ordering the Environment Agency to review cost and time-saving alternatives.
In the letter sent on behalf of the Hinksey and Osney Environment Grouo, and Oxford Flood and Environment Group, Canon Dr Chris Sugden and Patricia Murphy told the new Chancellor : "We note that you are seeking to save public funds, given the parlous state of UK finances and debt, and that you will be announcing some projects that will therefore be put on hold. We are writing to you with a suggestion to save up to £70 million at today’s prices in the construction of the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme. The Scheme, sponsored by the Environment Agency (EA), is based on a budget created over five years ago, and will cost £179 million of public money. The budget was calculated when interest rates were much, much lower."
They advised her that over the last five years, the groups had proposed alternative schemes which would deliver the same protection as the OFAS scheme but, would take five years less time to achieve and, would save up to £70 million of public funds. They wrote: "We presented these schemes at the OFAS Public Enquiry from November 2023 to January 2024; the Inspector’s report is awaited. At the recent meeting of the Oxfordshire County Council Planning Committee on July 15, an official of the EA team admitted they had not examined one of the most economic and efficient of these alternatives, involving pumps, because 'pumps can fail'. It should be noted that the whole of the Netherlands relies on pumping solutions to keep water levels down!"
Whilst the campaigners acknowledge the scheme will be funded by a 2021-27 EA fund of £5.6 billion, set aside for such schemes nationally, they urge the Chancellor to consider that if they’ve found £70-million savings on one, local project of £179 million (39.10%), funds could be freed up for other flood schemes the Government wants to start for the common good.
The letter concludes: "We are writing to ask for you to 'call in' the Planning Committee’s approval of this scheme so that the Government can review the unnecessary expenditure items."
- Full details of the would-be improvements to the OFAS scheme can be found at www.hinkseyandosney.organd www.oxfordfloodandenvironmentgroup.com
ENDS
For further information/Interview:
Canon Chris Sugden 07808297043 csugden@ocrpl.org;
(Chair – Ferry Hinksey Trust)
Paul Eddy 07923653781 paul@pauleddy.uk;
(Public Relations Consultant to FHT)