Flooding and Climate Change

As a result of climate change there is a greater likelihood of flooding events happening in Oxfordshire with more frequency and severity, leading to more substantial threats to land, property and homes. The main threat of flooding comes from the Thames and its tributaries overflowing, but rising groundwater and torrential downpours resulting in surface water flooding can also occur.

A Wide Range of Action is Needed

There is unlikely to be any one solution to mitigating and adapting to the changing circumstances. Whilst there is a place for engineering solutions to encourage outflow of water and the construction of defences, the Green Party is aware that this sort of action can lead only too often to the transfer of flooding problems to other areas downstream.

Working with Natural Processes

The Green Party would like to see more emphasis on working with natural processes, with the introduction of sustainable drainage systems both within and outside built up areas, and changes in land use practices particularly in upper catchment areas. It is considered that because of the complexity of the issues involved too little weight has been placed in the past on processes that could hold water rather than discharging it rapidly. Catchment areas, particularly upper catchments are too often intensively farmed with rapid run off drainage systems when woodland, wetlands, ponds swales and more natural watercourses would take up and hold water more effectively. There will probably need to be greater incentives for the treatment of land in this way. The advantages to be had in reducing flooding and the distress and costs it is likely to incur need to be weighed against growing pressures for increased food and crop production likely to occur as worldwide pressures lead to policies aimed at making Britain more self sufficient in food.

More Government Action and Co-ordination is Required

At the moment initiatives that could lessen the impact of flooding are likely to fall under the control of a wide range of participants, from individual property owners to Central Government. The Green Party welcomes the findings of the wide-ranging Pitt review and notes the Secretary of State’s decision to accept its major recommendations. However, it is to be deeply regretted that mooted legislation to address Pitt’s recommendations has not been forthcoming, and the Environment Agency still has considerable limits to overseeing the wider picture. Moreover, there could be more emphasis than Pitt put on working with natural processes.

Oxfordshire Needs to be Pro-active

The Pitt report recommends that Local Authorities should lead on the management of local flood risk with the support of the relevant organisations and working with the relevant parties. However, local flood risk in Oxfordshire may be highly affected by the policies of local bodies and organisations upstream from Oxfordshire, and how excess water is handled locally in Oxfordshire will affect those further downstream. It is therefore necessary that Local Authorities like Oxfordshire look at, scrutinise, and press for action on flooding at the widest level.

Support and Assistance to Local Communities

In terms of the action when flooding occurs, the recommendations of the Pitt review are generally welcomed. The Green Party welcomes and supports the formation of Flood Action Groups with local street representatives. It also supports a more active role by Councils to advice and assist householders in protecting their properties and repairing them with more flood resilient materials.

To this end the Green Party recognises that there are a diverse variety of measures to both mitigate and adapt to flooding. In particular emphasis is placed on the following measures:-

• It should be more heavily acknowledged that climate change is a major factor in the increasing severity of flooding events. More advice should be given to people on a personal level as to how they can reduce their impact by adopting lifestyles which lessen carbon emissions.

• The County in all its statutory responsibilities should push towards sustainable drainage systems involving building and transportation operations, not only on new work but when there is a need for restoration and repair.

• The County Council with the District Councils should encourage individuals to adapt to sustainable drainage through laying out permeable surfaces at the front as well as the rear of properties, storing excess water run-off in butts or other types of storage, installing green roofs where opportune, and any other measures that mitigate against rapid run-off. Small scale financial assistance might be offered in some cases.

• The County Council should press DEFRA, The Environment Agency, nature conservation groups, academic bodies and other experts to research and investigate ways of working with nature in upper catchments. Proper financial incentives should be given to landowners to enable this to happen. The County Council itself should enter into dialogue with landowners and farmers and explore whether any pilot schemes could be started in Oxfordshire which could be operated on a smaller scale. Similarly pilot schemes and research involving sustainable drainage in the built environment should also be encouraged and brought forward.

• There is a need to press for urgent government legislation to ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the Pitt review. Also promised was an Action Plan by DEFRA in response to the Pitt Review recommendations. The Green Party calls for this to be urgently produced and made public, and will thoroughly scrutinise the implications for Oxfordshire to establish whether the right priorities are being given to its recommendations, and that the proposals are accorded the necessary finance.

• It is accepted that it is necessary to ensure that watercourses are kept clear where their obstruction would jeopardise houses and other buildings in settlements. Bunds too can assist the protection of buildings. However, temporary bunds are favoured as these offer more room for experimentation and flexibility and are considerably cheaper than major engineered solutions. In this respect the results of the current study into the feasibility of major flood defences for Oxford are awaited. The costs and advantages of such a scheme need to be carefully weighed against its downsides and how this money could be used to advance sustainable drainage and more natural methods of stemming surges of water.

• The formation of Flood Action Groups and local street flood representatives is encouraged and supported. Advice and support should be increased to residents on how to make their properties more flood resilient.