Madeleine Evans

Oxford Times May 29 2025

CAMPAIGNERS against the En­vironment Agency’s plans for the new Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme have said they will con­sider legal action.

The Secretary of State for Envi­ronment, Food and Rural Affairs has approved compulsory pur­chase orders for land in West Ox­fordshire to complete the scheme.

This means Oxfordshire County Council is now free to consider the wider planning implications of the £176 million project, to be brought before the planning committee.

The defences, which would cre­ate a new, 5km stream fed by the Thames through the existing flood­ plain to the west of Oxford, is de­signed to protect more than 160,000 homes.

Objectors say the scheme as it stands would damage envionmen­tally sensitive land, cost millions more than it needs to and disre­gards residents' concerns.

But a public enquiry held in December 2023 and January 2024 concluded with a recommendation to the Secretary to approve the pur­chase orders.

In her recommendations is­sued in March last year, Inspector Joanne Burston said: “On the ba­sis of the evidence put before me, I recommend that, in terms of the overall scheme, the public benefits would clearly outweigh the ad­verse impacts identified.”

Project director Robbie Williams said the approval was a “major step forward for the project, ensur­ing we can bring this vital flood protection to the city.”

Responding to the enquiry con­clusion, campaigner Brian Dur­ham from New Hinksey,said:"The inspector had recorded a lot of important testimony, but intrigu­ingly none of it made it through to her conclusions. There is a grow­ing consensus amongst campaign groups that we should challenge this report, and/or the planning process that runs in parallel.

"Throughout the enquiry the in­spector seemed to be in touch with the arguments she was hearing.

“If this is the report she submit­ted 13 months ago to the then En­vironment Secretarv. it’s not clear why it was kept back in this time of climate change and, with high river levels again last year.”

Campaign groups objecting in­clude the Ferry Hinksey Trust, the Oxford Flood and Environmental Group, and the Hinksey and Osney Environment Group.

They stressed that they do not ob­ject in principal to a flood allevia­tion scheme, as many of them have been victims of Oxford flooding in the past. However, they expressed frustration that the agency has not considered alternatives they sub­mitted for the project which, they claim, would protect the environ­ment and reduce cost.

Mr Durham added: "This whole scheme has taken so long from de­sign, planning and the CPO steps.

“The estiJnated £176 million pound budget has increased by 33 per cent. We’ve been offering low­er-cost alternatives for years - but with no response.”

He said the campaigners are “keeping all legal options open.”

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