Witney News - Further bid for grants

Further bid for grants

The District Council is applying for further grants totalling £330,000 to help fund a continuing programme of flood defence work to protect communities in West Oxfordshire.

A bid has been submitted to the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to help fund seven extra flood alleviation projects in different locations across the District. If successful, the Council will receive the funding during summer 2012.

The £330,000 would bring the total amount of grant funding obtained by the Council for flood relief works to more than £1m since 2007, when West Oxfordshire was hit by devastating floods that affected 1,631 homes and 72 businesses.

The Council has been working continuously along with partner agencies and local communities on the issue since the flooding happened and has already secured around £700,000 in grant funding from DEFRA and the Environment Agency (EA).

Flood defence projects in Asthall, Bampton, Brize Norton, Broadwell and Kencot, Cassington, Filkins, Fordwells, Leafield, Ramsden, Weald St Bampton, Shipton-under-Wychwood, Westwell and three areas of Witney – Burwell Meadow, Eastfield Road and Madley Brook, near Madley Park have either been completed or are in progress.

The Council is funding works to be completed at Madley Brook as well as a flood relief culvert at Westwell and a further two projects funded by the EA and DEFRA are planned for Milton-under-Wychwood and Kelmscott. (See notes to editors for details of the schemes)

The bid for an extra £330,000 would also enable works to be carried out at:

Colwell Brook, Witney – diversion works costing £30,000.
Alvescot (Lower end) – new storm waster pipe and creation of wetland storage area, £50,000.
Crawley – construction of storage area upstream of industrial estate, £50,000.
Shilton – construction of upstream storage areas and reintroduction of water meadow, £80,000.
Clanfield – flood defences for 15 homes, £75,000
Minster Lovell – reconstruction of field ditch and flood protection bunds, £30,000
Curbridge – culvert repairs and ditch creation/enlarging, £45,000

Cllr David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Environment at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “It may have happened four years ago, but I am sure that the devastation of the flooding of 2007 is still fresh in many people’s minds. The Council has worked tirelessly to bring about improvements in West Oxfordshire and we are very proud of what has been achieved so far.

“As well as the larger-scale flood defence work, we have been working with landowners to ensure that ditch clearance and maintenance work is carried out., clearing the ditches on land that we are responsible for and working closely with those communities affected by the floods to plan for the future and provide better protection.

“We are hopeful that this latest bid for funding will be successful as the works should have a significant impact for the areas involved and we will continue to do whatever we can to further support communities in whatever way we can.”

For further information about the Council’s work on flooding, see www.westoxon.gov.uk/flooding or call 01993 861020.