The Environment Agency together with their partners continues to explore and test all options for a technically, environmentally and financially viable scheme that will reduce flood risk to residents and businesses in Oxford.
One of the options is to deliver improved capacity in the western floodplain of Oxford with a new flood relief channel.
The Agency is in the process of gathering the evidence needed to gain approval from Defra, HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office. They are currently consulting on their draft case, which (if approved) will allow them to proceed with the full detailed appraisal of the scheme.
If approved a channel would flow through the western floodplain of Oxford in two sections between the Botley Road and Redbridge and between Kennington and Sandford-on-Thames. Wherever possible it is likely to consist of a two stage channel formed from a combination of widened existing watercourses and new sections of channel.
According to the Agency, there is still a significant amount of investigation required to enable the business case to be prepared and at present a scheme has not yet been approved or designed. The earliest that approval will be given for a scheme to go ahead will be spring 2018.