What stage is the scheme at?
What stage is the scheme at?
When will you start building the scheme?
Once we have all the necessary approvals in place we’ll then start construction as soon as possible. We currently expect this will be in late 2026, but will update this page as soon as we have a confirmed construction start date.
Has the scheme been granted planning permission?
In July 2024, Oxfordshire County Council’s Planning and Regulation Committee resolved to grant planning permission for the scheme, subject to a legal agreement between the Environment Agency and the council.
It is usual for a planning proposal of this complexity to be subject to a legal agreement, termed a Section 106 Agreement. In this case it relates to the management and monitoring of the new habitats we will provide as part of the offsite biodiversity.
You can read all information related to the planning application on the Oxfordshire County Council ePlanning system. The planning reference is MW.0027/22.
What does your Compulsory Purchase Order mean?
What is a Compulsory Purchase Order?
In order for the flood scheme to go ahead, we need to have access to all the land needed to build it. A Compulsory Purchase Order – CPO - is a legal process that allows land, and rights over land, to be acquired when this is needed in the public interest. In this case the Environment Agency needs the land to reduce flood risk in Oxford.
What stage is the CPO at?
In May 2025, the scheme’s Compulsory Purchase Order was confirmed by the Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). This means we can now progress with purchasing the land needed for the scheme to go ahead.
What about floods before the scheme is in place?
The Environment Agency has well tested flood-protection plans in place for Oxford. Our incident teams respond to flooding, including sending Flood Alerts and Warnings to homes and businesses, working with emergency response partners and using temporary barriers and pumps when necessary. We encourage everyone to check their own flood risk and sign up for Environment Agency flood alerts.
Visit www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings or contact Floodline: Telephone 0345 988 1188, Textphone 0345 602 6340.