Investigators seek flood solution

Thousands of properties were flooded last summer

Flood investigators have been out in Oxfordshire inspecting measures to combat the risk of flooding.

Contractors from the Environment Agency were drilling boreholes and digging trial pits at 30 sites around Oxford, including New Botley and Hinksey.

Last year, hundreds of homes across the region were flooded after torrential rain caused many rivers to overflow.

The two-day work began on Wednesday and will asses any risks to a planned widening of the groundwater network.

One lane of Old Abingdon Road will be temporarily shut to traffic during the project.

Geoff Bell, area flood risk manager at the Environment Agency, said: "This is a vital part of the investigation work that we need to carry out in Oxford to find a solution to reducing the risk of flooding to more than 3,600 properties.

"While we appreciate that the partial road closures may cause a short-term nuisance to some drivers, we hope that the long-term benefits will far outweigh any problems caused."

Areas such as Osney, New Botley and South Hinksey have experienced flooding several times over the past century, with events in 1947, 2000, 2003 and 2007.

Mr Bell added: "We have already taken steps to reduce the risk of flooding in Oxford, by purchasing demountable flood barriers for the Osney area of the city.

"The work on the wider strategy overarches all of this work, and will enable us to identify the best ways to reduce the risk of flooding in Oxford."