Reviewed June 2008 3rd EDITION OOXXFFOORRDD AARREEAA FFLLOOOODD IINNFFOORRMMAATTIIOONN Guidance Booklet to the Management of Flooding & Flood Risk 1 Reviewed June 2008 BLANK PAGE 2 Reviewed June 2008 OXFORD AREA FLOOD INFORMATION Contents Section Page 1 INTRODUCTION 5 2 PARTNERING ORGANISATIONS 7 3 FLOOD RESPONSE INFORMATION - Contact Details for Partners 9 - Flooding Information 12 - Response to Flood Warning & Flooding 20 - Health Risks 28 4 ALLEVIATING THE CAUSES OF FLOODING - Definitions of Watercourses & Drainage Systems 30 - Powers and Responsibilities for Maintenance 33 - Maintenance Priorities 35 5 OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION 48 3 Reviewed June 2008 This document has been produced by the Oxford Area Flood Group. Organisation representatives sitting on the Group were: John Hill (Chair) Oxford City Council Richard Gosling Oxford City Council Steve Smith Oxford City Council Gathorne Gough Vale of White Horse District Council Peter Dela Vale of White Horse District Council John Kelly Oxfordshire County Council Gordon Hunt Oxfordshire County Council Katharine Dolman Environment Agency Roger Penny Thames Water Utilities Ltd Graham Long Network Rail The Oxford Area Flood Group aims to annually review this document. The current representatives sitting on the Group are: Richard Gosling Oxford City Council Town Hall, Blue Boar St, Oxford, OX1 4EY. Steve Smith Oxford City Council Ramsay House, 10 St Ebbe’s St, Oxford, OX1 1PT. Andrew Burchett Oxford City Council Marsh Road, Oxford, OX4 2HH. Gathorne Gough Vale of White Horse DC Abbey House, Abbey Close, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 3JE. Peter Dela Vale of White Horse DC Abbey House, Abbey Close, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 3JE. Anthony Concannon Oxfordshire County Council Emergency Planning Unit, Woodeaton Manor, Oxford, OX3 9GU. Gordon Hunt Oxfordshire County Council Speedwell House, Speedwell St, Oxford, OX1 1NE. Katharine Dolman Environment Agency Red Kite House, Howbery Park, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8DB. Nigel Bray Environment Agency Red Kite House, Howbery Park, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8DB. Jenny Elliott Thames Water Utilities Ltd Sewage Works, Sandford-on-Thames, Oxford, OX4 4XU. Roger Penny Thames Water Utilities Ltd Sewage Works, Sandford-on-Thames, Oxford, OX4 4XU. Graham Long Network Rail Network Rail Didcot Depot, 18 Basil Hill Road, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 7HJ. 4 Reviewed June 2008 Section One 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. The current decade has seen the worst floods in the Thames Valley since 1947. In July 2007 the Environment Agency issued a severe flood warning for Oxford. Large areas in South and West Oxford, together with areas in Wolvercote and the neighbouring villages of Kennington and South Hinksey, were severely affected for several days. There was considerable disruption to transport services and businesses and a number of properties had to be evacuated. 1.2. This FLOOD INFORMATION has been drawn up in partnership with the Environment Agency, Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council, Vale of White Horse District Council, Thames Water Utilities Ltd and Network Rail. It aims to provide residents in and around Oxford with information about the roles and responsibilities of the partners for: • Maintaining the complex network of rivers, brooks, culverts, sewers and drains, which are relied upon for removing rainwater from the areas in which we live and work. • And what can be expected from the partners in a flooding emergency. 1.3. This information is provided in four sections: • AN INTRODUCTION to the PARTNER ORGANISATIONS • RESPONDING TO FLOOD EMERGENCIES • ALLEVIATING THE CAUSES OF FLOODING • OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION 1.4. The RESPONSE TO FLOODING EMERGENCIES section gives details of how residents can help themselves and how the partners come together to manage flooding emergencies. Flooding is not confined to the City Council’s administrative boundaries. Agencies in the Oxford area have detailed emergency plans for all major incident types including flooding. 1.5. The section ALLEVIATING THE CAUSES OF FLOODING gives information about responsibilities for maintaining land drainage and flood defences in the geographical area of Oxford City, and the neighbouring parishes of North Hinksey, South Hinksey and Kennington in the Vale of White Horse District. A complex network of rivers, streams, culverts, highway drains, public surface water sewers and private drains drain the area. Responsibility for this network is shared between several 5 Reviewed June 2008 organisations, which have jointly drawn up this document for public information. 1.6. The South and West quarters of Oxford, Port Meadow, Lower Wolvercote and neighbouring Kennington, Old Botley and South Hinksey are located within the River Thames floodplain. Part of Oxford and neighbouring Kidlington are located within the Cherwell floodplain. The floodplain is a terrace of rich meadows that first attracted early settlers to build permanent dwellings in the area. It has been formed by a natural cycle of seasonal flooding, which began at the end of the Ice Age and continues today. As Oxford has expanded, development has encroached into areas of the floodplain. It is therefore natural that rivers should endeavour to reclaim these areas in times of exceptionally high rainfall. 1.7. Flood defence measures have been installed by previous generations of inhabitants to limit the harm flooding can cause to property and economic activity in the area. However, continued pressure to provide more homes and expected changes in the weather patterns will require further measures if serious flooding is not to become more frequent around the Oxford area. 1.8. Flooding will remain a risk that cannot be entirely eliminated. The planned maintenance of flood defences aims to reduce the risk of and mitigate the effects of flooding, by making the most of the existing natural and man-made drainage infrastructure. 1.9. The Land Drainage Acts 1991 & 1994 is the principal statutory legislation that defines the role of the Environment Agency, and local councils in managing land drainage in England and Wales. 1.10. Figure 1 shows the geographical area that this document covers. The map shows the River Thames, the River Cherwell and other Main River watercourses supervised by the Environment Agency. It also shows the extent of the indicative 1-in-100 and 1-in-1000 year flood zones. There are many watercourses not shown on the map. The District Council supervises these. 6 Reviewed June 2008 Section Two 2. PARTNERING ORGANISATIONS 2.1. Environment Agency: The Environment Agency is responsible for protecting and improving the environment in England and Wales. One aspect of the Environment Agency’s work is reducing risks to people and to the developed and natural environment from flooding through: • Flood forecasting, flood warning and response. • Discouraging inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding. • Managing flood risk. The Thames in Oxford is administered from the regional offices in Reading and the area office in Wallingford. 2.2. Oxfordshire County Council: Oxfordshire County Council is the Highway Authority for the districts of Oxford City, Vale of White Horse, South Oxfordshire, Cherwell and West Oxfordshire. The County has a statutory duty to maintain roads, bridleways and footpaths within its area registered as “Highway Maintainable at Public Expense”. The County Council does not have a responsibility for trunk roads or motorways in the County. These are the responsibility of the Department for Transport and its agent – the Highways Agency. 2.3. Oxford City Council: Oxford City Council is the principal second tier “Operating Authority” in the Oxford District. The City does not have a statutory duty to maintain watercourses, but it can use certain provisions in the Land Drainage Acts to secure the proper function of minor watercourses in its area. 2.4. Vale of White Horse District Council: The Vale of White Horse District Council is the principal second tier “Operating Authority” in the Kennington, Botley, North and South Hinksey areas of Oxfordshire covered by this plan. The Vale does not have a statutory duty to maintain watercourses, but it can use certain provisions in the Land Drainage Acts to secure the proper function of Ordinary Watercourses in its area. 7 Reviewed June 2008 2.5. Thames Water Utilities: Thames Water Utilities Ltd is a regulated utility company, which is owned by Kemble Water Limited. Kemble Water is a consortium led by Macquarie’s European Infrastructure Funds, which is Australia’s largest securities firm. The Secretary of State has appointed Thames Water Utilities as the statutory sewerage and water undertaker in the Thames Valley region. It is the largest UK water and wastewater company and is responsible for operating 31,000km of water mains and 66,000km of sewers in the Thames region. 2.6. Network Rail: Network Rail is a not-for-dividend company that is responsible for maintaining the entire railway infrastructure nationwide. The Thames Valley area office, which is part of the Western Territory of Network Rail, maintains the track in the Oxford area. The area office is located in Reading with a local depot at Didcot. Local bridges and other structures belonging to Network Rail are managed from the territory HQ in Swindon. 2.7. British Waterways: British Waterways is a public corporation that cares for over 3,000km of inland waterways in the UK. The Oxford Canal is managed from its South East Division Office in Milton Keynes. 8 Reviewed June 2008 FLOOD RESPONSE INFORMATION Contact details for each agency