The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme

A new stream to the West of Oxford

The Environment Agency is working with partners including Vale of White Horse District Council on a scheme to reduce the risk of flooding from the River Thames to all homes and businesses in Oxford, as well as to services and major transport routes into the city.

The planning application for the project was approved by Oxfordshire County Council in July 2024. Approval is subject to the application first being referred to the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, due to the scheme’s location in the green belt.

More info on the planning application approval is on our news page.

Starting north of Botley and ending three miles later at Kennington the scheme will involve lowering parts of the floodplain and working on some of the existing rivers and streams that run through it to make more space for water and reduce flood risk to the city.

As well as reducing flood risk, the scheme will create more than 20 hectares of new wetland and improve existing public footpaths and bridges.

Further details can be found on

The Oxford Flood Scheme webpage

And on the Oxfordshire County Council Alleviation Scheme page

An independent review of the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme confirms scheme will NOT put downstream communities at greater risk.

In 2017 the council commissioned Water Resource Associates to carry out an independent review into the potential impact of the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme. This followed local concern from downstream communities in the Vale that the Oxford scheme could increase their flood risk. 

The results of the independent review confirm that the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme will NOT put communities downstream at any greater risk of flooding and support the modelling previously carried out by the Environment Agency. To read the full report click on the button below .