The programme was agreed by Oxfordshire County Council thanks to information gathered during a project to inspect and clean every highway gully in the county last year.

There are around 147,000 gullies across Oxfordshire. In April 2025, the council launched a programme to inspect every gully and catchpit in the county over 12 months.

Working with partners M Group and Drainline, all gullies were inspected and 135,254 were cleaned at least once – around 92 per cent of the total.

Some could not be cleaned, despite repeat visits, due to parked cars, or issues such as seized lids, and have been flagged for follow-up visits.

Others were found to have more complex defects and have been added to the latest programme for further investigation and repair, confirmed by Councillor Liz Leffman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Construction and Repairs, on Thursday.

The additional £4m funding – taking the total investment to £9.42m – will help increase the number of drainage infrastructure repairs and investigations over the next two years and ensure that routine gully cleansing work is as effective as possible.

Cllr Leffman said: “Given the wet winter we had last year, and the extensive flooding that it caused, it’s important to maintain and clear gullies and make sure that broken infrastructure is replaced.

“We have a lot of broken gullies, due to many years of under investment. We know that by repairing them we will significantly improve drainage, particularly over the winter period. That’s why we have invested £4m over the next two years on gully infrastructure.

“This work will help to minimise network disruption, protect communities and property, and support safe, reliable travel. The programme will also prioritise preventative interventions, reduce reactive maintenance costs and strengthen our ability to respond to increasingly severe weather events.”

The programme will also see higher risk areas cleaned annually and others on a two-year cycle. Priorities are based on risk, using data from last year’s countywide programme, flood mapping and flood investigation reports.

The 2025-26 programme removed around 2,346 tonnes of waste from the county’s gullies.

The material was processed through a zero to landfill specialist waste recycling facility, where water was treated and discharged if not required for the wash plant, and sand and aggregate was recovered and re-sold.

Rubbish was sent to a materials recovery facility, followed by recycling or energy recovery, and nothing was knowingly sent to landfill.

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Oxfordshire County Council will carry out drainage improvements on Buttercross Lane from 3 – 28 August. The road will be shut from its junction with Willowbank while the work is carried out.

As the route is the only means of vehicular access, traffic management including marshals will be in place to manage the movement of vehicles and pedestrians.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Construction and Repair, said: “Residents have had to put up with flooding at this location for far too long due to a lack of proper maintenance by the developer prior to the road’s adoption by the council as highways authority.

“Officers have worked hard to come up with a solution to this problem, which was far from straightforward to resolve. Once completed, this should significantly reduce the risk of the road flooding whenever there is heavy rain.

“Although marshals will be present while the work takes place, there may be times when it is not possible for people to gain immediate passage through the site. When this happens, we would ask for patience and co-operation from the public.”

Before the project begins, survey work will take place to identify the depth of underground apparatus throughout the site. This element could result in some delays for those wishing access through the site.

Warning signs will be installed at the junction of Station Lane and Buttercross Lane two weeks before the start date.

During the work, one side of the carriageway will be left open, when feasible to do so, to allow residents to move through the site.

Temporary ramps will be installed on the kerb line to assist larger vehicles that need to travel through the site. This operation will be done under the guidance of one of the marshals.

Overnight barriers will be installed at the site while the work takes place, although one lane will be left open to enable the public to exit and enter Buttercross Lane.

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For the third year running, Oxfordshire County Council is offering groups the chance to apply for grants of up to £25,000 for work to make their communities more resilient to flooding.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, said: “In our role as lead local flood authority we are delighted to be able to fund another round of these priority action grants.

“Last year we received more than 80 applications, and we would welcome a similar response this year. It is fantastic that these groups are so committed to improving the situation where they live.

“When it comes to knowing what is needed to tackle flooding in a particular area, local communities are often the experts. Sadly, due to climate change and the increase in instances of extreme weather, flooding is now affecting more people and more severely than ever.”

The funding will be targeted at flood schemes led by parish, town, district and city councils, flood groups and catchment partnerships and is available for the upcoming financial year (April 2026 - March 2027).

The aim is for communities to deliver small scale work themselves to reduce flooding from surface water run-off, ordinary watercourses and groundwater.

Groups wishing to apply have until 4 May to register their expression of interest by emailing floodmanagement@oxfordshire.gov.uk

The council aims to let applicants know which projects can be supported by 30 May 2026.

Last year, the council awarded grants totalling over half a million pounds to help fund nearly 40 schemes to reduce flooding in Oxfordshire.

The grants funded surface drainage improvements; natural flood management schemes; ditch clearances and ditch construction; culvert inspections; water pumps; track repairs to reduce surface water flooding; the installation of timber dams; and flood sensors.

The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) received two grants to carry out natural flood management and other work – one at Carswell Marsh and another at Little Milton, in association with Little Milton Parish Council.

Daniel Akam, BBOWT’s Senior Reserves Officer, said: “Like many watercourses, the Hasley Brook has been altered historically to drain agricultural land more efficiently. The speed that the water now flows off the land has contributed to flooding downstream in Little Milton, particularly during extreme weather events, which are now becoming much more common.

“Here at Wells Farm, much of the brook flows through woodland in a natural way and is allowed to spill over, making the woodland wet. This already helps slow and store the water on the nature reserve and is of great benefit to the local wildlife.

“The funding will allow us to naturalise another section that was historically canalised and deepened. We plan to achieve this by regrading sections of the steep canalised banks, allowing the water to spill over at times of high water; creating natural permeable log dam features; and raising the bed level of the brook by creating gravel riffles, reconnecting the channel with the flood plain.

“We also hope to create a new backwater which will connect to the brook in times of flood, providing even more places for the water to be stored. All of this will help slow down and store water naturally, at the same time improving the habitats found at Wells Farm and the health of the Hasley Brook.”

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An appeal has been issued for volunteers to help their communities understand flood risks and responsibilities by becoming flood wardens.

Oxfordshire County Council has extended its flood warden scheme to cover the whole county following successful pilot projects in Witney, Ascott-under-Wychwood, Abingdon and Sunningwell.

There is no set number of hours required, and flood wardens can volunteer according to their own schedule.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, said: “Flood wardens are our eyes and ears on the ground and report things liked blocked ditches and drains so that we can resolve these issues before a flood event can occur. As extreme weather becomes a more common occurrence, their role becomes so much more important.

“We are so grateful to all the county’s volunteers, whose hard work and local knowledge does so much to keep their communities safe. I would like to thank our existing flood wardens for their efforts and invite more people to join them in improving the situation in the places where they live.”

Flood wardens are members of the local community. They can be individuals, representatives of the parish council or existing community resilience volunteers, highway wardens or police volunteers.

William Wareing, Chairman and Trustee of the Witney Flood Group, has been a flood warden since April 2023 and is the coordinator of the town’s seven-strong flood wardens group.

Mr Wareing said: “My home was flooded in 2007 and 2020. Although I have since moved to a safer location, I feel passionate about making a difference to others who are unable to move out of the high flood risk zone.

“I wanted us to establish a flood warden community through our involvement in the joint risk management agencies’ working party that formed after the 2020 floods. This is very closely tied with our charity, the Witney Flood Group, which was also formed after the 2020 floods, to help us build a community, support and educate, and make a difference to the conditions locally.

“Ultimately the flood wardens project is another piece of the puzzle in the solutions we seek to reduce the risk of flooding in the area.”

The council will support flood wardens in their role and provide the necessary training. All flood wardens undergo an informal one-hour call prior to signing the agreement to help them understand the role in more detail.

Mr Wareing added: “We engage with the community, report issues to the responsible authorities and create community emergency flood plans and keep in touch with each other and support each other. My role involves coordinating our wardens, increasing their knowledge and expertise, and making sure that specific high risk locations are the priority, and making them known to the community.

“Our flood wardens attend public events, learn about river management, hold conversations with both the responsible authorities and our residents and business owners. We held two public events in September, conducted a full survey of the River Windrush with evidence of photos, locations and identified any poor levels of maintenance we want to see improved.

“We plan to engage directly with riparian landowners next to encourage them to improve maintenance standards on land they own adjacent to a watercourse. We can also help them directly with light maintenance work and are set up for that now.

“Becoming a flood warden is about building a community, helping each other, representing and supporting those less fortunate or able to, and raising awareness of the flood risk issues we face across Oxfordshire,” he said.

“In our experience so far, people at risk of flooding are the strongest contenders for becoming flood wardens, as well as those with experience or interest in the subject.”

Anyone wanting to become a flood warden can read more and sign up through the county council’s Oxfordshire flood toolkit.

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Work is being stepped up to make sure every highway drainage gully in Oxfordshire is cleaned and emptied this year.

In April, Oxfordshire County Council began its enhanced programme to clean nearly 145,000 highway gullies and manholes by the end of March 2026. By the end of October, 67,000 gullies had been emptied.

The £2.6 million programme is taking place after an additional £1.5m investment to improve highway drainage was approved in the council’s 2025 - 26 budget. The programme is being delivered by the council’s highways contractor M Group and specialist operator Drainline.

To meet the ambitious target of cleaning every gully in the county in 12 months, the number of crews has doubled from six to 12, working two different shifts to maximise the efficiency of the gully tankers and make use of quieter roads in some locations during the evenings.

Silt is removed from the drains using suction pipes and then they are cleaned with high pressure jets of water. Some have required digging out by hand where a lot of silt has accumulated.

Drain cleaning was previously carried out on a four-year cycle, although high priority drains – such as those in areas most at risk of flooding and on high-speed roads – were cleaned more regularly.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “We recognised the need to improve drainage, especially following the flooding in the county last year caused by exceptionally wet weather.

“I’m pleased that, with the additional crews, we are on schedule to complete this ambitious drainage improvement programme. It is a huge task but one that will make a big difference to our communities as extreme weather becomes more frequent.”

The funding is being used to empty gullies, carry out improved drainage management, and repair the infrastructure connecting the gullies to the outlets. Improving drainage also helps protect roads by getting water off the surfaces, reducing the risk of potholes forming during freezing weather.

While gully clearing is important in reducing surface water, no drainage system is designed to cope with instances of extreme rainfall like Oxfordshire experienced in September 2024, when a month’s worth of rain fell in just 36 hours.

Motorists are asked to make sure their vehicles are not blocking access to drains when the work is due to take place, and to take care when driving past gully emptying operations.

Around 2,500 drainage gullies were unable to be cleaned when visited so far this year because they were blocked by vehicles. Drivers are asked to lookout for signs letting them know when work is taking place.

Richard Lovewell, M Group Business Director, said: “In October alone, 17,000 drains were cleansed. That's more than 10 per cent of the county's total, thanks to huge efforts from all involved. We're proud to be working with Oxfordshire County Council and Drainline to deliver this vital programme.

“We’re also grateful to residents who move their vehicles to help our teams access the drains, meaning we can clean more drains more quickly. This simple action makes a big difference.”

All tankers are equipped with asset management software that will collect accurate data on all drainage in the county and ensure efficient planning for future programmes.

The technology also records any drain or gully that cannot be accessed, for example due to a car being parked over it or a stuck cover. This ensures a revisit can be scheduled or repair works prioritised.

A schedule, which can be viewed on the council’s website, is in place for the tankers to travel all around the county to complete the programme. However, the teams will still react to urgent incidents of blockages or flooding.

Residents can report blocked drains and gullies through Fix My Street, which is available on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

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Oxfordshire County Council received more than 80 applications for its priority action grants earlier this year from groups and organisations working to make their communities more resilient to flooding.

Following an assessment process, 39 schemes are being supported with grants of up to £25,000, subject to confirmation.

Councillor Judy Roberts Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, said: “The quality of submissions was extremely high, and we would have supported almost all the projects if we had enough money to do so.

“It is fantastic that these groups are so committed to improving the situation where they live. When it comes to knowing what is needed to tackle flooding in a particular area, local communities are often the experts.

“This grant scheme is now in its second year and is a part of our drive to help residents take effective action to tackle flooding and extreme weather, which is being exacerbated by climate change.”

Last year’s inaugural grant scheme handed out £250,000 for communities to deliver small scale work themselves to reduce flooding from surface water run-off, ordinary watercourses and groundwater.

Among this year’s recipients are the city and district councils, parish and town councils, schools, wildlife organisations, the National Trust and residents’ flood groups.

Locations include Abingdon, Bicester, Witney, Oxford, Chinnor, Wheatley, Culham, Bucknell, Caulcott, Clifton Hampden, Sunningwell, Buscot, Hook Norton, Waterstock, Yarnton, Whitchurch, Fewcott, Wendlebury, Adderbury, Bloxham, East Hanney, West Hanney, Hailey, Kidlington, Hornton, Swalcliffe, Kelmscott and Bampton.

Projects include surface drainage improvements; natural flood management schemes; ditch clearances and ditch construction;  culvert inspections; water pumps; track repairs to reduce surface water flooding; the installation of timber dams; and flood sensors.

The funding will also pay for surveys, scoping workshops, information booklets, flood response kits and flood resilience mapping.

The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) is to receive two grants to carry out natural flood management and other work – one at Carswell Marsh and another at Little Milton, in association with Little Milton Parish Council.

Discussing the Little Milton project, Daniel Akam, BBOWT’s Senior Reserves Officer, said: “Like many watercourses, the Hasley Brook has been altered historically to drain agricultural land more efficiently. The speed that the water now flows off the land has contributed to flooding downstream in Little Milton, particularly during extreme weather events, which are now becoming much more common.

“Here at Wells Farm, much of the brook flows through woodland in a natural way and is allowed to spill over, making the woodland wet. This already helps slow and store the water on the nature reserve and is of great benefit to the local wildlife.

“The funding will allow us to naturalise another section that was historically canalised and deepened. We plan to achieve this by regrading sections of the steep canalised banks, allowing the water to spill over at times of high water; creating natural permeable log dam features; and raising the bed level of the brook by creating gravel riffles, reconnecting the channel with the flood plain.

“We also hope to create a new backwater which will connect to the brook in times of flood, providing even more places for the water to be stored. All of this will help slow down and store water naturally, at the same time improving the habitats found at Wells Farm and the health of the Hasley Brook.”

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The enhanced programme began in Wheatley last month. Contractors working on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council are planning to clean nearly 145,000 highway drains, gullies, manholes and catchpits by the end of March 2026.

The £2.6 million programme is taking place after an additional £1.5m investment to improve highway drainage was approved in the council’s 2025 - 26 budget.

Drain cleaning was previously carried out on a four year cycle, although high priority drains – such as those in areas most at risk of flooding and on high-speed roads – were cleaned more regularly.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “We recognised the need to improve drainage, especially following the flooding in the county last year caused by exceptionally wet weather.

“This money will be used to empty gullies, carry out improved drainage management, and repair the infrastructure connecting the gullies to the outlets. Improving drainage also helps protect roads by getting water off the surfaces, reducing the risk of potholes forming during freezing weather.”

Waste is removed from the drains using suction pipes and then they are cleaned with jets of water. Some may require digging out by hand if a lot of silt has accumulated.

It is expected that the work will cause minimal disruption, although there might be temporary traffic lights or manually operated stop-go signs in operation if lane or road closures are necessary.

Motorists will be asked to make sure their vehicles are not blocking access to drains when the work is due to take place, and to take care when driving past gully emptying operations.

The cleaning programme is being carried out by specialist operator Drainline on behalf of the council’s principal highway maintenance contractor M Group, previously known as Milestone Infrastructure.

Richard Lovewell, M Group Business Director, said: “We are proud to be working with Oxfordshire County Council and Drainline to deliver this crucial year long programme, which will improve our drainage systems and reduce the risk of flooding and potholes.

“With Drainline’s expert team and specialised tanker fleet, we are well equipped to tackle even the toughest drainage challenges.

“While we've designed the programme to minimise public disruption, I’d like to thank residents and motorists for their cooperation in providing access by moving vehicles. This support is crucial for our teams to perform their vital work, ensuring the safety and durability of Oxfordshire's roads.”

Capacity has almost doubled, with eight gully tankers working on the programme – six 18 tonne vehicles and two 26 tonne jetting tankers. The larger vehicles are used when an issue, such as a blockage, demands high volume or high pressure jetting.

Two of the tankers also work at night when traffic levels are lower, but only on rural roads to avoid disturbing residents.

All tankers are equipped with asset management software that will collect accurate data on all drainage in the county.

The technology also records any drain or gully that cannot be accessed, for example due to a car being parked over it or a stuck cover. This ensures a revisit can be scheduled or repair works prioritised.

A schedule, which can be viewed on the council’s website, is in place for the tankers to travel all around the county to complete the programme. However, the teams will still react to urgent incidents of blockages or flooding.

The council does recycle what it can from the waste. Using purpose built de-watering bays at its depot in Drayton, near Abingdon, water is removed and filtered. The de-watered gully waste is then dried, screened and graded, recovering as much of the original waste as possible and removing any non-recyclable contaminants.

These recycled materials can then potentially be used in highways work as filler material for resurfacing, topsoil replacement, or be fed into the production of recycled aggregates, subject to appropriate material and chemical testing results and stakeholder agreement.

Residents can report blocked drains and gullies through Fix My Street, which is available on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

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For the second year running, Oxfordshire County Council is offering groups the chance to apply for funding for work to make their communities more resilient to flooding.

Councillor Dr Pete Sudbury, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, said: “Local communities are often the experts when it comes to knowing what their area needs to tackle flooding, so it makes sense to give them the money to get on with the job.

“With the impact of climate change, extreme weather events such as flooding are becoming more frequent and more severe. Flooding can be devastating for those who experience it, and too many communities went through it numerous times last year.

"These grants are a part of our drive to get on the front foot, helping residents to take effective action to tackle flooding and other manifestations of our increasingly extreme climate. We are all in this together.

“In our role as lead local flood authority, we are delighted to be able to make these grants available and believe it will make a real difference to the communities that are most affected by flooding.”

The initial funding of £500,000 will be targeted at flood schemes led by parish, town, district and city councils, flood groups and catchment partnerships.

The aim is for communities to deliver small scale work themselves to reduce flooding from surface water run-off, ordinary watercourses and groundwater.

Projects could include small flood storage areas, embankments or channels, culvert (pipe) removal, improvements on ordinary watercourses, natural flood management work, or improving community flood resilience through awareness raising and preparedness.

Groups wishing to apply have until 18 April to register their expression of interest by emailing the flood management team on floodmanagement@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Last year, the scheme handed out £250,000 in grants to parishes and community flood groups including those in Sunningwell, Nuneham Courtenay, Northmoor, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell and Ascott-under-Wychwood.

Projects included floodplain storage, ditch clearance, culvert cleaning, stabilising failing banks, and the installation of timber dams.

Witney Flood Group was awarded a flood grant to help it install river gauges to improve its ability to monitor river levels and support its community resilience plan. It also received support from West Oxfordshire District Council.

Keith Jameson, Witney Flood Group drainage engineer, said: “Understanding how river levels rise and fall, and the impact of structures and maintenance issues is essential.

“Previously, submerged gauge boards made it difficult to monitor these changes. The new system offers real time insights that are key to identifying priority areas for improving channel capacity.”

More information is available in the county council’s Oxfordshire flood toolkit.

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Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet today approved the adoption of the Oxfordshire climate adaptation route map and a delivery plan for its implementation. The route map contains 82 measures, including 15 priority actions for 2025 - 26.

The measures will help ensure the county’s natural environment, communities, infrastructure, buildings and businesses are prepared for more regular and severe flooding, a higher likelihood of water scarcity, cold snaps, storms and more intense and prolonged heatwaves.

Councillor Dr Pete Sudbury, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, said: “The risks to Oxfordshire from the impacts of climate change are significant. Lessons from around the world in recent months warn us that extreme weather can devastate communities, often without warning, causing deaths, destroying dreams, wrecking businesses and devastating supply chains.

“Oxfordshire is not immune. The increasingly frequent flood events, the record 38C heatwave in 2022 and the extreme levels of rainfall in 2024 are a harbinger of things to come, because we know the rising temperatures driving more extreme and larger scale weather events will continue for at least the next 30 years. We are all in this together.

“Without concerted and decisive action, the impacts of these events will only get worse. The health and wellbeing of our residents and communities will suffer, the size of the local economy will shrink, and our biodiversity and natural habitats will be increasingly threatened.

“That’s why it’s vital to prepare. We, as a council, have led the development of this programme for Oxfordshire working with our partners and many stakeholders to plan against these risks. The jointly developed route map sets out how this plays out over the coming years. Now we can all work together to put these recommendations into action.”

Failure to adapt would disproportionately affect Oxfordshire’s vulnerable residents. Heatwaves and flooding particularly impact the elderly, very young, those with certain disabilities and many living in deprived communities who have limited ability and resources to adapt.

The route map, which has already been endorsed by the Future Oxfordshire Partnership, was developed by Oxfordshire’s councils, businesses, the universities, the NHS and community groups, to enable the county to take collective action and build long-term resilience to a changing climate.

Some of the long-term actions include capturing weather data, tree planting and biodiversity programmes, analysing fire, flood and drought risk, monitoring the colonisation of new species, assessing changes to the risk of diseases spread by insects such as ticks, and analysing the threats to roads and bridges.

It also recommends resilience training for carers, expanding schemes that promote household, school and business resilience, and researching the effectiveness of cool spaces.

The potential impacts of climate change on Oxfordshire’s historic buildings, pollution levels, food security and pest outbreaks will also need to be assessed.

The 15 priority actions for 2025 - 26 include establishing working groups, identifying funding sources, developing adaptation plans, analysing habitats, species and crops, which are most at risk from climate change, and producing adaptation guidance for developers.

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A new group will help Oxfordshire improve its readiness and response to flooding by bringing together many of the key organisations responsible for tackling it.

The Oxfordshire strategic flood risk group has been formed as a direct result of a flooding summit held by Oxfordshire County Council last month. It will be chaired from the new year by Prof Robert Van de Noort CBE, pictured, Vice Chancellor of Reading University and former Chair of the Thames Valley Flood and Costal Committee.

Councillor Dr Pete Sudbury, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, said: “It is a real privilege and wonderful news for Oxfordshire to have Robert agree to contribute in this way. He is a real heavyweight in the sector, widely acknowledged as having led innovative approaches to flooding as chair of the Thames Valley Flood and Costal Committee for eight years.

“The rapid acceleration in extreme rainfall events means the traditional approaches focused around high-risk areas are no longer enough, and we need to shift very rapidly to a whole landscape approach. Having Robert on board really adds impetus to achieving that at the pace and scale necessary.”

The group will include representatives from the city and district councils, Thames Water, the Environment Agency, the Northeast Cotswold Farmer Cluster, landowners and community flood resilience groups.

Prof Van de Noort said: “I look forward to working alongside people representing all parts of the community across Oxfordshire. Flooding is an issue that can affect anyone and requires everyone to play their part to keep people safe from its worst impacts.

“I am fortunate to work alongside some of the world’s most eminent weather, climate and flood scientists at Reading, who advise world leaders and the UK government on how to manage flood risks. Floods will always occur, but the difference between a flood hazard and a flood disaster is in how we prepare for them and respond to them.”

The aim is to take a collective strategic overview of the management of flood risk in the county. It will support coordination of these matters with wider economic growth and water resource management initiatives.

It will also improve integration of flood risk planning and response at a strategic level in the county, and will be the central point of liaison between local, regional and national flooding policy developments.

November’s summit, which was prompted by the floods that affected Oxfordshire in January due to Storm Henk, was held while parts of the county were recovering from more recent flooding incidents.

It provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss a shared approach to flood response and resilience in Oxfordshire; to understand the future trajectories of flooding in Oxfordshire; and to deepen shared understanding of the range of potential solutions to increase flood resilience, sharing best practice to help others develop their own plans.

It asked questions such as what a joined-up response from multiple organisations looks like during the immediate aftermath of a flood, and what could be improved or changed.

Cllr Sudbury added: “We need to try to get ahead of the game, or the economic and social losses from flooding are likely to spiral to an uncontrollable level.

“Surface water flooding can probably affect almost anywhere, if the rain is as intense as we experienced in September. We're moving from sporadic floods, every few years, to multiple sequential clusters of them.

“The next ratchet up is continuous flooding over an extended period and so we need to look to pre-empt that. That will take time, effort, collaborative cross-agency work and widespread citizen activation.”

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Residents in Oxfordshire are being advised to continue to be vigilant after a week of exceptional rainfall in the county and neighbouring areas.

On Sunday, 22 and Monday, 23 September, the county was hit with more than a month’s worth of rainfall in the space of 36 hours. Oxford University’s Radcliffe Meteorological Observatory reported that Oxford had more rain than in any defined 24-hour period since 1968.

Meanwhile in the one hour between 5pm and 6pm on Sunday, more than 20mm of rain was recorded at the Environment Agency’s Grimsbury Gauge.

More rain has swept across the county since then, ensuring that river levels remain very high. There is the potential for yet more rain over the coming week.

The county council’s fire and rescue service has been active attending many incidents. Alongside adult social care teams and emergency response volunteers, the fire service has been helping vulnerable residents and those whose homes or businesses have seen their electrics compromised by flood water, as well as supporting some families evacuate their properties.

Highways crews have been working hard to address drains and gulleys that have been overwhelmed by the unusually sustained and intense amount of rain that has descended.

Emergency planning teams have worked closely with communities affected the most by offering practical help to people in their hour of need.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Deputy Leader, said: “We and our partner agencies have been doing a tremendous amount of hard work in the past week to seek to deal with the impacts of the huge levels of rainfall to which we and neighbouring counties have been subjected. I thank all of those professionals across our services who have been involved.  

 
“Climate change means that for some time now this country has been seeing more intense spells of rain and increased instances of flooding. None of the issues are Oxfordshire specific – all of our neighbouring areas have experienced the same incredibly difficult impacts this week.

“The surprising thing is how quickly exceptional weather events have become a regular occurrence, and we and our partners are well aware of the need to step up the pace and scale of what we do. 

“Drainage systems across the UK and Europe are being overwhelmed by the sort of extreme rainfall we’ve seen in short periods of time this week. In the UK, this is compounded by the impacts of over a decade of austerity, along with well-documented underinvestment by privatised water companies.

“While we, at Oxfordshire County Council, have diverted extra funding to flood prevention, and there is a national programme funding flood defences, the job we have to do is bigger than any of that. We know that climate change is accelerating, and this will get worse for at least 30 years while we get to net zero emissions and beyond.

“Even if it were possible or affordable, replacing all of our drainage pipes with bigger ones, they won’t work when a month’s rain can fall in a couple of hours.

“There’s a much wider landscape-scale and street by street operation needed locally and nationally to work out how you hold back rainwater wherever it lands, slowing down the rate at which it hits or flows down our streets, rivers and highways.

“That means, among other things, smart ‘water farming’ practices, putting trees and other water holding measures on hillsides, and breaking up impermeable paved areas in villages, towns and cities. Fortunately, all of these make better places to live and work, and protect against air pollution and other weather extremes like heat, and gales. 

“There needs to be a serious step up in national strategy and local co-operation that gathers pace to match the new reality, comes up with strong mitigations and funds them properly. In the meantime, we will do whatever is possible when these events occur, learning from each one, so we can react faster and work even more effectively together.” 

Flood warnings and alerts remain in place. Residents are advised to check their flood risk, on X follow @EnvAgencySE for timely updates and sign up for free flood warnings from the Environment Agency. Residents can keep in touch with its regularly updated information relating to current flood alerts and flood warnings and the five-day flood risk for Oxfordshire. 

If residents or businesses are in a flood risk area, they can access the council’s flooding toolkit, which provides advice and support, including on preparing for instances of flooding. The council’s news webpage also contains helpful information and signposting

Flooding of low-lying roads is possible. Residents are advised to check X at @OxonTravel for road and travel updates. People must also avoid driving through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move a car.

Residents can call the Environment Agency’s flooding hotline for advice and support at any time on 0345 988 1188. They can also monitor information published by the Met Office, which issues weather warnings when severe weather is expected. 

After a year that saw the county hit by flooding in January, as well as repeated flood warnings following months of wet weather, Oxfordshire County Council wants to hear the public’s views on its draft local flood risk management strategy (LFRMS).

Councillor Dr Pete Sudbury, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, said: “Flooding is devastating for those who experience it, and fear of being flooded again can have a terrible impact on people’s lives.

“As we saw this winter after Storm Henk struck, following the wettest July to December period in England since 1890, Oxfordshire is already on the frontline for risk of flooding, both from rivers and from groundwater, which is much harder to predict.

“However, this winter was a foretaste of a difficult future for which we need to start preparing now. We know that increasingly prolonged and extreme rainfall is a feature of a warming world – 90 per cent of the excess heating caused by climate pollution is absorbed by the oceans.

“Hot water evaporates more and that falls as more and heavier rain. The energy released when the water vapour condenses puts more energy into the atmosphere and we get stronger winds.”

The draft LFRMS sets out how the council, in its role as lead local flood authority for Oxfordshire, and partner authorities will work together to manage flood risk. The action plan will indicate how flood risk management will be managed in the county. 

The consultation, strategy and action plan, which are available to comment on at Let’s talk Oxfordshire until 23 August, cover a five-year period but also look at the longer term consequences of climate change.

Cllr Sudbury added: “We are at the beginning of a long period where our weather will be increasingly extreme and unpredictable, with unexpected and at times unprecedented events becoming more frequent, damaging and potentially dangerous.

“That’s why we want to hear as many views as possible about what we propose to do over the next five years. We would like to hear from residents, businesses, and anyone else who is affected as this feedback will help us to identify if changes are needed on the draft objectives and action plan.

“The biggest risk is failing to prepare properly. If we all work together that's a mistake we won't make.”

Residents can use the Oxfordshire’s flood toolkit, which has useful information about what to do before, during and after a flood. It can help people find out if they live in an at-risk area, what precautions they can take, which organisations to contact and how to report a flood.

Click Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates in our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

Below is useful information for local people to monitor the situation in individuals parts of the county - especially when the Environment Agency issues flood alerts or the more serious flood warnings.

There are also links to the Met Office's weather warning bulletins.

Flood Alerts and Flood Warnings

If the Environment Agency issues a flood alert this indicates that an area should prepare, including making defences and staying up to date with the latest information. When a flood warning is issued, this indicates a greater level of severity.

You can keep in touch with the Environment Agency's regularly updated information relating to current flood alerts and flood warnings and the five-day flood risk for Oxfordshire. This page also captures flood alerts and warnings from areas immediately adjacent to the county.

Meanwhile it is also possible to monitor individual levels on the county's rivers, streams and brooks. It also possible to monitor rainfall statistics from rain gauges in your local area.

Flood water is not clean and not suitable for children to play in. There might be hidden hazards under the water such as manhole covers that have lifted. Anyone who has been in flood water should wash their hands at the soonest opportunity.

You can sign up to receive flood warnings from the Environment Agency. Alternatively you can call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 to register. The service is free and you can choose to receive notifications of flood warnings by email, text, or both.

Road and driving conditions

People are reminded of the hazards of driving in to floodwater and the risk of creating bow-waves that run in to adjacent properties when this occurs. 

Any road that is closed due to flooding will have been done so for safety reasons and this should be respected.  Highways often become flooded because the water-courses in to which they drain are already full.

Weather forecasts

The Met Office issues weather warnings when severe weather is expected. These give an indication of problematic weather that may be on its way to Oxfordshire and could further influence river levels.

The Met Office rainfall radar gives an up-to-date picture of weather as it currently stands in Oxfordshire and surrounding areas.

Flooding advice

Oxfordshire County Council has produced a flooding toolkit which provides advice and support for residents and businesses. it gives information on preparing for instances of flooding. 

Power outages

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks list power outages at any one moment.  You can zoom in and out of the map on this page or search by postcode.

School closures

Schools are asked to update this page on the county council's website should they need to close for any emergency reason including flooding 

We have produced a flooding toolkit that provides advice and support for residents and businesses on preparing for and recovering from a flood.

Funding

If your property or business has been flooded or significantly impacted due to flooding by storm Henk between 2 to 12 January 2024, you may be eligible for grants under the Flood Recovery Framework. Read more about this on .gov.uk.

There are a number of schemes available, however certain eligibility criteria will need to be met to access the funding. For more information on what funding is available, eligibility criteria and how to claim please visit our Flood Toolkit website.

Sandbags

Most sandbags used for residential properties can be disposed of at one of our Household Waste and Recycling Centres. Use gloves when handling the sandbags, and speak to a member of site staff on arrival for further advice. Businesses should arrange their own collections.

A visit to the waste wizard provides further advice on the disposal of both contaminated and uncontaminated sandbags and other items in your area of Oxfordshire.

If you have unusued sandbags, it is recommended that you keep hold of these until the end of the flood season.

Cleaning and drying homes

When cleaning and drying a property affected by floods, it’s important to protect yourself from floodwater, which can be harmful to humans and animals. Wear rubber boots, protective overalls and waterproof gloves.

UKHSA has helpful information on staying safe while cleaning your home after a flood.

The National Flood Forum has produced a helpful leaflet to help those affected by flooding. It outlines what you can expect from your insurer over the comings weeks and months during recovery.

Protecting your health

Whilst all of us are familiar with a degree of adversity in life, flooding and its consequences is a particular difficult and stressful experience for everyone, and for some people it may be terrifying and even life-threatening. Whilst the waters may recede quite quickly, repairing the devastation left behind takes much longer. Practical problems, financial worries, red tape and uncertainty all need to be dealt with. 

Anyone caught up in this may feel upset, worried and exhausted. Such feelings can last a few days or weeks, depending on how long it takes for life to get back to some kind of normality.

If you are still experiencing significant distress 4-6 weeks after the floods, then you should seek a consultation with your family doctor for further advice and guidance. 

Flood warnings and flood alerts

You can keep up to date with flood warnings and alerts in Oxfordshire on the Environment Agency’s website or by following @EnvAgencySE on X. You can sign up to receive free flood warnings by email, text or both. 

For help and support you can also call the Environment Agency’s 24 hour flooding hotline on 0345 988 1188.

If the Environment Agency issues a flood alert this indicates that an area should prepare, including making defences and staying up to date with the latest information. When a flood warning is issued, this indicates a greater level of severity.

You can also monitor individual levels on the county's rivers, streams and brooks and rainfall statistics from rain gauges in your local area.

Information from other agencies

• Oxford City Council is sharing information on flooding in the city.
• News and information is also being shared by South Oxfordshire District Council and Vale of White Horse District Council .
• Information for north Oxfordshire is available from Cherwell District Council .
• West Oxfordshire District Council  also has a news page.
• GWR is updating information about travel difficulties linked to the weather
• The Oxford Bus Company is providing service updates on its websites relating to flooding impacts. Stagecoach Oxfordshire is providing updates on X/Twitter .
• Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks list power outages at any one moment.  You can zoom in and out of the map on this page or search by postcode.

Below is useful information for local people to monitor the situation in their part of the county - especially when the Environment Agency issues flood alerts or the more serious flood warnings.

There are also links to the Met Office's weather warning bulletins.

Flood Alerts and Flood Warnings

If the Environment Agency issues a flood alert this indicates that an area should prepare, including making defences and staying up to date with the latest flood alerts. When a flood warning is issued, this indicates a greater level of severity.

You can keep in touch with the Environment Agency's regularly updated information relating to current flood alerts and flood warnings and the five-day flood risk for Oxfordshire. This page also captures flood alerts and warnings from areas immediately adjacent to the county.

Meanwhile it is also possible to monitor individual levels on the county's rivers, streams and brooks.

Flood water is not clean and not suitable for children to play in. There might be hidden hazards under the water such as manhole covers that have lifted. Anyone who has been in flood water should wash their hands at the soonest opportunity.

You can sign up to receive flood warnings from the Environment Agency. Alternatively you can call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 to register. The service is free and you can choose to receive notifications of flood warnings by email, text, or both.

Weather forecasts

The Met Office issues weather warnings when severe weather is expected. These give an indication of problematic weather that may be on its way to Oxfordshire and could further influence river levels.

The Met Office rainfall radar gives an up-to-date picture of weather as it currently stands in Oxfordshire and surrounding areas.

Flooding advice

Oxfordshire County Council has produced a flooding toolkit which provides advice and support for residents and businesses. it gives information on preparing for instances of flooding. 

School closures

Schools are asked to update this page on the county council's website should they need to close for any emergency reason including flooding 

Below is useful information for local people to monitor the situation in their part of the county - especially when the Environment Agency issues flood alerts or the more serious flood warnings.

There are also links to the Met Office's weather warning bulletins.

Flood Alerts and Flood Warnings

If the Environment Agency issues a flood alert this indicates that an area should prepare, including making defences and staying up to date with the latest flood alerts. When a flood warning is issued, this indicates a greater level of severity.

You can keep in touch with the Environment Agency's regularly updated information relating to current flood alerts and flood warnings and the five-day flood risk for Oxfordshire. This page also captures flood alerts and warnings from areas immediately adjacent to the county.

Meanwhile it is also possible to monitor individual levels on the county's rivers, streams and brooks.

Flood water is not clean and not suitable for children to play in. There might be hidden hazards under the water such as manhole covers that have lifted. Anyone who has been in flood water should wash their hands at the soonest opportunity.

You can sign up to receive flood warnings from the Environment Agency. Alternatively you can call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 to register. The service is free and you can choose to receive notifications of flood warnings by email, text, or both.

Weather forecasts

The Met Office issues weather warnings when severe weather is expected. These give an indication of problematic weather that may be on its way to Oxfordshire and could further influence river levels.

The Met Office rainfall radar gives an up-to-date picture of weather as it currently stands in Oxfordshire and surrounding areas.

Flooding advice

Oxfordshire County Council has produced a flooding toolkit which provides advice and support for residents and businesses. it gives information on preparing for instances of flooding. 

School closures

Schools are asked to update this page on the county council's website should they need to close for any emergency reason including flooding 

Met Office information

The Met Office issues weather warnings when severe conditions are expected - whether heavy rain, snow or ice.

It is also possible to monitor incoming rain/snow on the Met Office's rainfall radar.

Gritting in cold weather and snow

A daily decision is taken by Oxfordshire County Council on whether or not to send out the gritters. In conditions where heavy snow is predicted the gritters can be fitted with snowploughs.

Monitoring flood alerts and flood warnings

A flood alert means that people in the affected area should be aware that flooding is possible and they should be prepared. A flood warning means that flooding is expected and immediate action is required. More detail is provided by the Environment Agency.

Below are links to important information to help Oxfordshire residents monitor the situation - including Environment Agency updates on river levels, flood warnings and alerts and flood risk over coming days. 

• It is possible to monitor the precise current state of play as regards flood alerts and flood warnings in Oxfordshire by checking the Environment Agency's regularly updated information.
• Levels on specific rivers in the county are also monitored and updated several times each day by the Environment Agency.
• The Environment Agency also issues a five day flood risk for the whole of England based on weather forecasting and current river levels.

Preparing for flooding

Oxfordshire County Council has a flooding toolkit giving advice to residents, business and landowners on how to prepare and respond to flooding.

Road closures

• Islip: Lower Street
• Buckland: Great Brook Road

Oxfordshire County Council’s highways, fire and rescue, adult social care, transport and emergency planning teams have been praised for their round the clock response to Storm Bella, widespread flooding and icy conditions over the Christmas and new year period, which included the evacuation of two care homes.

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “I want to express my gratitude to all our staff who came to the aid of residents in need of their help during what should have been a time of celebration. While Christmas was already affected by COVID-19 restrictions, scores of families had their festive period ruined by the impact of flooding on their homes.

“On a visit to one of the affected areas in Tackley, I saw first-hand how our firefighters tackled the flooding and am full of admiration for their professionalism and dedication as they do what is required, whatever the weather and whatever the time of year. I must also mention our staff who carried out preventative measures, to limit the impact and those behind the scenes who coordinated this huge response. They are all unsung heroes.”

Adult social care and fire and rescue staff were called to a care home in the early hours of Christmas Eve. The home needed to be evacuated after its ground floor flooded when a nearby river burst its banks. All its elderly residents – plus one cat – were found new accommodation together before the end of the day.

Karen Fuller, Deputy Director for Adult Social Care, said: “This was a great example of partnership working! A number of staff across many organisations came together along with support from the community, to work tirelessly into the evening to ensure residents affected were kept safe and alternative accommodation found for them. It was a heart-warming Christmas story demonstrating people’s kindness, dedication and willingness to help, resulting in a great outcome for the residents, from what was a frightening and unsettling experience. The response from our staff was outstanding.”

Residents were first moved to the village hall where they were cared for throughout the day and provided with food and warmth, while their new accommodation was prepared at a new wing of a nearby care home. The empty rooms were transformed into a functioning wing with the installation of beds, tailored equipment and some of the residents’ belongings. It meant they all could stay together with the familiar faces of their co-residents and their usual care staff over this turbulent festive period, where they remain at the moment.

Staff were called into action again on Christmas Day when another care home flooded and had to be evacuated. The residents have since been able to return to the home.

Between Christmas and the new year, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (OFRS) attended 70 flood related incidents – although many of these calls involved multiple properties, meaning the number of homes or people assisted was even higher.

OFRS crews pumped out water for some incidents, where possible. Staff also had to deal with properties affected by flood water and sewage, including the evacuation of properties. The situation was exacerbated by high groundwater, which led to drainage and sewerage being inundated with water.

As well as flooding caused by heavy rainfall, there were two incidents in Abingdon, which involved a burst water main affecting homes.

Around Christmas, Oxfordshire County Council set up a severe weather desk due to the number of flooding and wind related calls being received. During a six hour period, it received more than 40 calls about trees being blown down and numerous properties flooding that needed help.

A number of roads had to be closed due to surface water flooding and many vehicles needed to be rescued from flood water. During this period, approximately 25,000 sandbags were distributed by the county council to at risk or already flooded properties, and crews worked round the clock to keep on top of the demand.

A sharp drop in temperatures around Christmas Eve also brought the county council’s gritting teams into action. Sub-zero temperatures. mixed with the already wet and flooded roads, made both treatment and driving difficult in places.

Since Christmas Eve, the gritters have been out at least a dozen times, using nearly 2,500 tonnes of salt across 1,200 miles of treated network – a total length of road network treated during that period of more than 14,000 miles.

There are still flood alerts in place in Oxfordshire. Visit GOV.UK for more information. For one-stop advice about what to do and how to get help before, during and after a flooding incident visit the county council’s Oxfordshire Flood Toolkit.

Oxfordshire County Council, as lead Local Flood Authority, led a successful bid with Cherwell and Vale of White Horse District Councils for the funding from Thames Water. The two districts will each receive £1.5m towards projects to tackle the problem over the next five years.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “I am delighted that Oxfordshire County Council, working in partnership with Cherwell and Vale of White Horse district councils, has managed to obtain this funding from Thames Water. It will allow us to focus on reducing the flood risk from surface water and, in doing so, will lessen the impact on Thames Water’s systems.”

The funding will enable the councils to explore schemes to tackle the safe disposal of rainwater, which can overwhelm the sewer system and lead to flooding in homes, businesses, and the environment.

Sustainable drainage solutions, such as raingardens and using green spaces to temporarily store rainwater after heavy rainfall, mimic nature by absorbing rain into the ground or slowing its journey to drains and sewers.

As well as reducing flood risk, this approach also provides wider benefits, such as improving the local environment, reducing air pollution and helping biodiversity.

Councillor Colin Clarke, Cherwell District Council’s Lead Member for Planning, said: “This funding will help us plan for the future and create solutions that will make it less likely that homes and businesses in our area will experience flooding. We will be working closely with residents and other public bodies to put the funding into action in the way that best meets local need.”

Councillor Catherine Webber, Vale of White Horse District Council Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Environment, said: “Flooding can have devastating effects – on homes, on businesses and on our natural world. By doing something to help stop preventable flooding, such as this, we can take a real step towards protecting our local communities and our local environment.”

Over the next five years, Thames Water – which also awarded £1.5m each to Hounslow and Lambeth Councils – will be employing a number of schemes to reduce the amount of surface water entering the sewer networks.

Krishna Ramjeeawon, Programme Manager for Thames Water’s surface water management programme, said: “Finding innovative and eco-friendly ways to manage surface water and protect homes from flooding is central to what we do. Working in collaboration with these councils, who are already improving our streets and urban places, will help us find creative ways to manage surface water drainage in areas where our sewers have limited capacity to deal with excess water flows.”

Residents in Oxford, Bampton and Woodstock were among those who felt the impact of the latest deluge, from the inconvenience caused by excess surface water, to the dangers posed by sewage flooding into people’s homes and gardens.

The risks, the misery, and the financial implications of flooding are all-too familiar to many in the county. And while the impact of storms and heavy rain can leave many feeling helpless, much is being done around the county to alleviate the issue – and there is plenty that householders and businesses can do themselves.

An unrivalled online source of information is Oxfordshire County Council’s Oxfordshire Flood Toolkit – a one-stop shop full of advice about what to do and how to get help before, during and after a flooding incident.

Oxfordshire County Council leader Ian Hudspeth said the onset of winter was a good time to remind people what sort of preparations they need to think about now – as well as what to do if their property becomes flooded.

Cllr Hudspeth said: “Whatever sort of information you are looking for about the issue of flooding, we are confident the Oxfordshire Flood Toolkit will be able to point you in the right direction.

“Flooding can turn people’s lives upside down, devastate their homes and destroy their treasured possessions. In the worst cases it can even threaten lives.

“That is why it pays to arm yourself with some knowledge and make your preparations in advance. There are plenty of measures you can take which can help prevent the worst impact of flooding, and they are all laid out in the Toolkit.”

The Toolkit will tell you if you live in a flood risk area, help you sign up to receive free flood warnings, make preparations – both as individual households and as a community – and advise you on what to do in an emergency.

It will also help you find out which organisations are responsible for different aspects of flood management, and has contact details for them – whether you are enquiring as a homeowner, landowner, community or business.

“Not surprisingly, most people never want to think about their homes being affected by flooding,” added Cllr Hudspeth. “But a bit of preparation can make all the difference when the water levels start rising.”

For more details, log on to www.oxfordshirefloodtoolkit.com

As part of Exercise Oxford Flood 20 the Environment Agency deployed temporary flood barriers at South Hinksey. At the same time Oxford Direct Services erected Oxford City Council’s barriers at Bullstake Close. Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Services also took part in the exercise to test pumps that would be used to take water away from Botley Road.

Temporary flood barriers are portable one metre high metal frames that can be put up as needed to help protect people and properties. The exercise was an opportunity to test the Oxford emergency plans.

Mark Hill Operations Manager, Environment Agency, for Oxford, said: “It’s really important that we regularly test our emergency response arrangements. We need to ensure that we’re prepared and that our staff are fully trained.

““This exercise demonstrates how we and our partners are working together to protect Oxford from flooding now and in the future. We know how devastating floods can be for anyone living or working in the Oxford area. So it is vital that we have these temporary barriers ready in case of flooding ahead of the construction of the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme.”

The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is a major partnership project being developed by the Environment Agency to reduce flood risk to homes, businesses, and transport links in Oxford and the surrounding area.

Cllr Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet member for Environment and and Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme sponsor/partner said: “There is a very strong partnership that works closely together to protect communities and businesses in Oxford from flooding.”

“While the permanent flood alleviation scheme is top priority and much work is being done to deliver it, we also have plans in place to protect properties and keep roads open in specific locations that we can activate if there is a threat of flooding. These plans have been effective in the past and I am sure that local people will be reassured to see them being rehearsed to ensure everything is in order should we need to enact them.”

The scheme will help protect this world-renowned city from the devastating effects of flooding, benefiting local people and everyone that works in and visits Oxford for many decades to come. It is designed to provide a long term solution to manage flood risk in Oxford, taking climate change projections into account.

Further information on the scheme can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oxford-flood-scheme/oxford-flood-scheme

Issues relating specifically to flooding

The Environment Agency issues flood alerts and flood warnings when river levels rise. Flood warnings are the more serious of these. Detail on these different levels of alert/warning can be found here 

The current situation in Oxfordshire can be found here . 

The last of Oxfordshire's flood warnings was removed on the morning of Monday, February 24. However several flood alerts remain in place. 

If you are affected by a flooding situation go to this page on the Oxfordshire Flood Toolkit.

Highways issues/roads closed

During Storm Dennis our highways teams responded to more than 60 weather related incidents and have dealt with more than 100 incidents in total.

The large majority of these incidents involved removing trees or large branches that had fallen partially or entirely blocked roads. In some cases trees were leaning and pre-emptive action was taken.

If you encounter a "Road Closed" sign please take an alternative route. 

Here is the current list roads that we have had to close completely or partially due to flooding.

• Grove Road, Harwell
• Islip - Lower Street
• Woodeaton Road
• Great Brook Road between Buckland Road and Chimney

Oxfordshire County Council has also provided its own advice on staying healthy, safe and prepared throughout Winter with input from its road safety experts, firefighters and public health and social care teams.​​Be healthy, safe and prepared

High winds, power cuts and fallen trees

Fallen trees can be reported via 101. Any that are endangering safety or life should be reported via 999.

Power cuts can be reported on 105.

Follow us on Twitter @OxfordshireCC , @oxontravel and @OxonFireRescue

Schools

Schools are asked to notify Oxfordshire County Council if they have to close for any reason including anything related to poor weather. School closures are updated by schools here

There are 10 Flood Alerts in place in Oxfordshire from the Environment Agency.The Environment Agency issues flood alerts and flood warnings when river levels rise. Flood warnings are the more serious of these. Detail on these different levels of alert/warning can be found here 

The current situation in Oxfordshire can be found here

See below for further information and advice or follow us on Twitter @OxfordshireCC , @oxontravel and @OxonFireRescue

Be healthy, safe and prepared

If you are affected by a flooding situation go to this page on the Oxfordshire Flood Toolkit.

Oxfordshire County Council has also provided its own advice on staying healthy, safe and prepared throughout Winter with input from its road safety experts, firefighters and public health and social care teams.

Keep informed

As well as the actual weather forecast there's a whole range of information updated daily to keep you informed about such things as flood risk, river levels, weather warnings and school closures related to the weather. These sources really do come in to their own when the weather takes a turn for the worse.

Flood risk

The Environment Agency update the flood risk for all parts of England and Wales every day of the year here. For much of the time, even in Winter the risk is "Very Low" but other bands of risk are "Low", Medium" and "High". It is a useful overall guide as to whether Oxfordshire and neighbouring areas are likely to be impacted by flooding.

As a resident there is lots you can do to prepare for flooding and ensure it has as little effect on you, your community and property as possible. Take a look at the Oxfordshire Flood Toolkit now and find out about the small things you could do now to make you more flood resilient if the worst happens.

River levels

For more specific information on rivers and water-courses near where you live, the Environment Agency monitors river levels each day and if there is a risk of flooding it first would issue a "flood alert" and then a more serious "flood warning". Whether it be the Thames, Cherwell, Evenlode, Ock, Glyme or any of their tributaries this is a useful place to look for information in your neighbourhood.

Weather warnings

The Met Office will always issue yellow, amber or red warnings for weather that is likely to cause problems. Rain, ice and frost, snow, fog and high winds can all cause the Met Office to issue such warnings and they'll always give advice about action you should take here

River levels in the county are currently high with a number of flood alerts in force. Currently there are only two routes closed due to high water – Chipping Norton Road in Ascot under Wychwood and the Oddington Bend between Merton and Islip.

Pedestrians and cyclists are also advised that towpaths in some locations have been submerged by water.

Flood alerts in place

Oxfordshire County Council’s Highways Group Manager Paul Wilson said: “People will have seen media coverage of conditions in the north of England. Our current position is very good in comparison but the Autumn as a whole has been very wet and the rivers have been gradually rising. There are now a number of flood alerts and ourselves, the Environment Agency and other parts are keeping a very close eye on rivers and streams and also the weather forecast.

“The public are welcome to get in touch with us if they wish to advise us of any problems on the roads with rising water levels.”

For more information

River levels in Oxfordshire can be monitored via the Environment Agency’s website here 

Flood alerts and flood warnings for Oxfordshire can be monitored here 

The Environment Agency’s Five Day Flood Risk page is here 

Highways teams worked to clear surface water from under the Botley Road railway bridge in Oxford whilst Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service attended 68 other weather related incidents, dealing with lightning strikes, downed trees and property flooding.

Meanwhile emergency planners worked hand in hand with district councils to help temporarily rehome people whose individual properties had become flooded.

Teams had been preparing for the need to respond yesterday after the Met Office issued a “yellow” warning for rain (its lowest level of alert) followed by an amber alert for the south-west of the county.

The busy period was between 6pm and midnight when the rain was at its most intense and in the hours following.

Jason Crapper from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue said: “The first part of the county to experience the effects of the weather was western Oxfordshire and we attended incidents of localised surface water flash flooding in Bampton, Carterton, Brize Norton and Woodstock among others. Although the west was the first affected we did also have to attend a lightning strike to an electricity pole in Matthews Way, Wootton near Abingdon quite early.

“Essentially the weather moved from the south west up through the county to the north. We attended a number of incidents in Oxford and highways teams used pumps to clear water that had accumulated underneath the Botley Road railway bridge.

“Elsewhere we had to deal with flooding in Didcot, Kildington, Banbury and Enstone amongst other places as well as lightning strikes in Combe and South Leigh. It was certainly a busy night for all concerned.”

The Met Office is not currently predicting any further significant rainfall as can be seen from its forecast for coming days here

All agencies will now as a matter of course will monitor river levels. Currently there are only flood alerts in Oxfordshire (the lowest level of warning) More information can be found here.

Residents are being asked to make sure they are aware how to deal with frozen or burst water pipes during the current cold spell.

Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service has responded to a number of incidents in recent days involving internal flooding caused by pipes in several homes which have frozen and burst.

There are some simple things that residents can do to prevent bursts and reduce the damage to property if you are unfortunate to have a burst pipe.

Worried you have a frozen or burst pipe?

Locate and turn off the main stopcock, which will turn off the water supply. This might be under the kitchen sink, in an airing cupboard or under floorboards near the front door, it will be where the service pipe comes into your home.

While the pipe is still frozen you can remove nearby items to protect them from water damage, in case of a leak. Further information will be available via your water provider.

Frozen pipe

• Check to see if the pipe has burst.
• Slowly thaw the pipe with hot water bottles, a hairdryer on a warm setting or a towel soaked in hot water.
• Never use a naked flame or blowtorch to thaw the pipe as this may cause permanent damage to the pipes and could also lead to a fire in the home

Burst pipe

• Open all taps to reduce flooding.
• Soak up/block off escaping water with towels.
• Call a qualified plumber.
• Turn off taps once pipework is repaired to avoid further flooding
• Turn off your your electricity supply, if it is safe to do so. If water has leaked near your electrics isolate them using your isolator switch or fuse box. If you are unsure, contact your insurer or an electrician for advice.

To help prevent your pipes from freezing, it's important to:

• Know where the internal stop/tap valve is (usually under the kitchen sink) and how to turn it off.
• Keep the home as warm as possible even if you are out.
• Lag pipes in exposed or draughty places.
• Leave the trap door to roofspace open to let warm air flow in during extreme weather conditions when there is the chance that un-lagged water tanks and pipes could freeze.
• See that taps are turned off properly.
• Have contact details for a plumber.

The sessions are:

2pm - 8pm, Thursday 11 May, West Oxford Community Centre, OX2 0BT2 

2pm- 8pm, Friday 12 May, South Oxford Community Centre, OX1 4RP2 

2pm - 8pm, Monday 15 May, Oxford Deaf & Hard of Hearing Centre, OX1 1RL2

2pm - 8pm, Thursday 18 May, St Luke’s Church, OX1 4XB

Background to the scheme

There are 4,500 properties in Oxford at a 1% or higher annual risk of flooding. This figure could rise to nearly 6,000 by the year 2080 with the predicted effects of climate change.

Major roads, railway lines, schools and businesses could also be affected by flooding. The Environment Agency carries out regular maintenance activities and operates its assets to reduce the flood risk as much as possible, reducing this to 1,800 properties at risk.

During heavy rainfall and high flows on the river, the new channel would provide additional capacity and help manage the movement of water through Oxford. It would reduce the risk of flood water entering homes, businesses and disrupting transport links. 

The flood relief channel scheme has funding from central government, the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee and local councils, but needs further contributions to enable construction. This is the standard way in which flood schemes are funded today.

Provided the scheme is fully approved and funded, the earliest work can be expected to start is spring 2018. Construction is expected to be completed by 2022.

You can read more about the scheme here.

More than £6.8million has been invested in flood prevention work in Oxfordshire thanks to Oxfordshire County Council over the last ten years, with more to come according to the Leader of Oxfordshire County Council.

The county council is the Lead Flood Authority for the area and each year contributes in the region of £600,000 towards work that protects properties from flooding.

Protecting residents

County Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “I am proud of the work that the county council has funded which has helped tackle and prevent the devastation that flooding can cause to our communities.

“Oxfordshire has suffered a number of floods in recent years, with the really big one in 2007 that everyone remembers.

“What people may not realise is that Oxfordshire County Council has been contributing hundreds of thousands of pounds every year to protecting homes that could otherwise face disaster should there be extreme weather in the future.

“The physical work that we have helped to pay for goes a long way to protecting our residents while the county council’s fire and rescue service has a proud history of stepping in to provide hands on help and things like pumping in emergency situations.

“On top of this the county council’s drainage teams work all year round to keep drains and ditches – that can make a big difference – clear. As an example, in West Oxfordshire, we have spent £2.8m on drainage work alone in the last decade.”

Commitment to flood prevention

Cllr Rodney Rose, co-chair of the Oxfordshire Flood Alleviation Scheme Sponsoring Group and member of the Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, said: “The county council’s commitment to reducing flood risk is unquestionable.

“The county council has helped make the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme a reality by agreeing to contribute a further £5m when the scheme goes ahead. This takes our total contribution to £6.5m.

“This is a crucial piece of work for Oxfordshire as we saw only a couple of years ago how flooding in Oxford has wide-reaching impacts for the whole county.

“We have also led on the development of the Oxfordshire Flood Toolkit which provides all the information residents and businesses need to become more resilient.

“All this illustrates the great efforts and strides that we have made towards tackling flooding, and I am keen to see this work continue.”

Next steps

In next year’s program further drainage improvement schemes are planned as well as money set aside for re-active work for drainage problems which arise during the year.

Where the money has gone

Over the last 10 years the money has been spent by the county council on:

• Flood bunds

• Replacement culverts

• Additional culverts

• Upsizing highway drains

• New highway drainage systems

• Flood storage areas

• Ditch maintenance

• Maintenance of the highway drainage system

• Jetting and investigating existing drainage systems

The county council has spent the money in the following district council boundary areas:

• £1,264,000.00 in the West Oxfordshire area

• £1,433,000.00 in the South Oxfordshire area

• £1,066,000.00 in the Vale area

• £205,414.00 in the Cherwell area

• £2,901,650.00 in the Oxford city area

A new online “toolkit” has been launched by Oxfordshire County Council which promises to provide a “one-stop-shop” for flooding information and advice.

Access the Flooding Toolkit

The new website, which can be found at www.oxfordshirefloodtoolkit.com brings together all the information needed to take action against the potential menace posed by flooding.

First of its kind in Oxfordshire

The flood toolkit is the first resource of its kind in Oxfordshire and builds on the success of the approach in Northamptonshire. The website is also supported financially by Oxford City Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council, West Oxfordshire District Council and Thames Water.

How to guides

Visitors to the site can browse through information helpfully organised under headings such as “Am I at Risk” and learn how best to help themselves through a series of “How to” guides.

The toolkit also explains the different types of flooding that can occur with bespoke guides on how to deal with them and, for those responsible for things such as drains and streams running across their land, guides on how to carry out preventative maintenance.

Interactive illustrations give visual inspiration for ways people can protect their properties and highlight some of the areas that would not instantly spring to mind, such as the garage, air bricks and cable holes.

Preventing the worst effects of flooding

County Councillor Rodney Rose, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “The county council is the lead local flood authority for Oxfordshire which means that we have taken the idea of the flood toolkit seriously, and we are delighted with the support we have had from our partners.

“Knowledge and preparation is the key to preventing the worst effects of flooding.

“There is much that can be done to plan for and deal with flooding so that it affects you as little as possible Doing your research and taking action now is far more effective and preferable to clearing up afterwards.

“I would urge people to look at the site now. Even just doing one or two of the things shown on the site such as signing up to a flood alert could make a big difference, but I would suggest people sit down and take some time to go through the toolkit and see just how much they could do to help themselves.

“The county council and partner agencies are playing their part to reduce the impact of flooding through developing and maintaining new and existing infrastructure. But that is only part of the picture – self-help is also needed.

“Flooding can devastate homes and disrupt lives as well as have a real impact on businesses and communities. The benefits of having a plan can’t be stressed enough and so the value of the new Flood Toolkit can’t be emphasised enough.”

Find funding and teach the children

Other useful features on the toolkit site include links that could help secure funding for flood related projects and an educational pack for schools.

Areas that were affected by flash flooding included Didcot, Goring, Wallingford, Abingdon, Cholsey, South Stoke and East Hagbourne.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue attended Wallingford Community Hospital where some parts of the buildings were impacted by flooding.

Firefighters also attended to assist in dealing with flooding at Didcot Parkway Railway Station and worked to protect some properties from waters on Station Road in Cholsey.

Group Manager Gary Coupar of Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue said: "We’ve had to deal with a number of instances of cars becoming stranded as a result of trying to drive through floodwater. People should avoid doing this

“If the electrics in your home are being affected by floodwater please turn off the electricity”

A number of flood alerts are in place in Oxfordshire. This is the Environment Agency's lowest form of alert. Details can be found on their website. https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/river-and-sea-levels

• Protect the welfare of vulnerable people during a major power cut or emergency due to severe weather
• Enhance community facilities and services that may be needed  during a major power cut or emergency due to severe weather
•  Improve communication during an emergency situation, to keep communities informed or to aid contact between local groups and response services

Some Oxfordshire communities have already benefited from the fund. Stratton Audley Parish Council received a grant of almost £10,000.

Following advice from Oxfordshire County Council’s Emergency Planning Department  the parish council applied for a grant from the Resilient Communities Fund.

After putting in their bid last year, the parish council was delighted to be told it had been awarded a grant of £9508.

John Honsinger, Chairman of Stratton Audley Parish Council said: “As a small community with limited resources this will make a significant difference and enable us to support residents in practical ways when needs arise.

The money is being used for a range of items, the major ones being a defibrillator (with training for volunteers), a shed for housing emergency supplies such as blanket, hot water bottles, shovels, a generator plus emergencies kits of lighting and other items for householders in the event of power cuts or flooding which is always a threat from the river that runs through the village.

We were happily surprised and impressed by the speed of the decision from SSE and delighted that 95% of what we asked for was granted” 

Carol MacKay, Principal Emergency Planning Officer, Oxfordshire County Council Emergency Planning unit said:” We promoted this fund to parishes and I did visits to several of the successful parishes who applied for funds.

“We promote each parish having a community resilience plan which depending on the parish may be vulnerable to flooding or when it snows . Funds can be used to buy a shed to store sandbags, to buy a gas cooker for a parish hall or a generator to enable the hall to be a community hub in an extended power outage etc. Each parish submitted a shopping list request and we appear to have been very successful so we are urging other communities to come forward and put in their bids.”

For further information contact : https://www.ssepd.co.uk/Resiliencefund/ or call 0141 224 7191

Flood alerts and flood warnings for the nation as a whole and the South East in particular are published here. There are currently seven flood alerts – the Environment Agency’s lowest category - for Oxfordshire.

The Environment Agency also monitors river levels for various watercourses in and around Oxfordshire. More information can be found here

The three day flood risk for individual parts of England and Wales is updated daily by the Environment Agency here

The Met Office's Rainfall radar is also a useful resource to monitor incoming weather.

You can also check for power cuts in your area here: https://www.ssepd.co.uk/Powertrack

There are currently five roads in Oxfordshire closed due to minor flooding.

• Lower Street, Islip

However many roads do have water pooled and motorists are advised to drive with due care and attention – not only for their own safety but also that of pedestrians and residents who live near roads.

Cllr Rodney Rose, the deputy leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Our emergency planning and fire and rescue teams have been keeping a close eye on water levels throughout the New Year period along with colleagues from the Environment Agency.

“We’ve got a number of flood alerts but no flood warnings as a result of high water levels.

“However motorists should drive very carefully around or through pooled water on roads. Driving too quickly could lead to loss of control and an accident.

“Considerate driving would also mean avoiding drenching pedestrians by passing through water at an inappropriate speed or creating bow waves that can temporarily impact on people’s properties.

“We would also continue to advise people to obey any signage on towpaths that advise against walking through flooded areas.”

Flood alerts and flood warnings for the nation as a whole and the South East in particular are published here

River levels for various watercourses in and around Oxfordshire are monitored here

An alternative resource for monitoring river levels near you can be found here

The three day flood risk for individual parts of England and Wales is updated daily by the Environment Agency and posted here

The Met Office's Rainfall radar can be monitored here.

You can also check for power cuts in your area here: https://www.ssepd.co.uk/Powertrack/

Carol Mackay, Oxfordshire County Council’s Principal Emergency Planning Officer, said: “River levels have generally been well within range although they have been responding to recent bouts of rain.

“With wet weather forecast to continue throughout the New Year period, river levels may respond further and we have already seen the Environment Agency issue its lowest level of alert on some fast responding smaller watercourses in anticipation of rainfall.

“The flood alert asks people to be aware that some flooding may be possible.

“People may be tempted by canal and river towpath walks to burn off those extra calories during the New Year Bank holiday period. If there are signs up saying that the towpath or land adjacent to a river or stream is not passable because river levels have risen, please obey such signage. Such signs are not put up unless there is a risk to walkers.”

“The county council and its partner agencies will all be keeping an eye on river levels and ask residents to do the same.”

As part of the bidding process the council had to guarantee £1.6m of funding from its own budgets – taking the total spending to £14.5m

Some of the money will be spent on reviewing and replacing Oxfordshire’s older street-lighting with more modern streetlights between 2015 and 2018.

Highway drainage will also be improved in various parts of the county – which will in turn make road surfaces more resilient to poor weather and potentially lead to savings. Road edges will be strengthened where necessary.

The council will also use the money to install Sustainable Urban Drainage (SUDs) systems that allow water to drain away from roads more quickly.

An example of SUDs is the use of swales – which have already been installed in some new developments in the county. Swales are shallow drainage channels with gentle side slopes in the ground where water running off sites, including roads, can collect and soak away.

The council will now further develop a programme of work in line with its recently reviewed Highways Asset Management Plan.

Welcome news

Councillor David Nimmo Smith, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: “This is very welcome news. We have until 2018 to spend the money awarded and I look forward to more modern street-lighting and improved highway drainage in various parts of Oxfordshire.

“Investment in these areas has the potential to save us money in the longer term both on energy via more modern and efficient street-lighting and highway maintenance as a result of roads that are more resilient to the impacts of bad weather.”

The council had also bid for finance to improve the resilience of Playhatch Road in Playhatch -  including flood modelling, flood elevation structures, embankment work and drainage improvements. This element of the bid was not successful and the council will now consider future options for taking this work forward.