Floods: Bridge will not be replaced (From thisisoxfordshire)

Floods: Bridge will not be replaced

12:14pm Thursday 28th January 2010 in

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RESIDENTS fear they have been left defenceless after promised bridge works were withdrawn.

Seven households in The Heath, Milton-under-Wychwood, have been flooded up to three times in three years.

They were told that Church Road bridge would be replaced, costing £100,000, in a bid to stop water building up and flowing into nearby properties.

However, the Environment Agency (EA) has said that it will build a flood storage pond upstream of The Heath.

Oxfordshire County Council is also planning to construct a pipe through one side of the bridge, to allow more flood water to flow through.

Peter Collins, EA flood risk management team leader, said: “While we appreciate residents will be disappointed that the Church Road bridge is not being replaced, we will be working with the county council to deliver a package of works that will reduce their flood risk.”

EA spokesman, Richard Crowe, added: “The council is committed to carrying out works to The Heath bridge, and the Environment Agency assisted with assessing the impacts of flood risk.

“A number of options were considered, which included bridge replacement.”

Residents Gill and John Fox, of The Heath, were flooded twice in 2007. Water also flowed into neighbours’ homes in 2008.

Mrs Fox, 63, said: “There is still nothing that prevents me from picking up my furniture and everything and moving it upstairs each time I go on holiday, which is not something you should do at the age of 63.

“The solution, without any ongoing maintenance, is to enlarge the bridge.

“It’s too low, and the water can’t get through it.

“If the bridge gives way, it will be like a tsunami. Flood storage ponds will not help, we know this.”

Mrs Fox has been to many meetings in the village, where she claims residents were promised the bridge works. They even formed a campaign group, called Littlestock Brook Action Group.

She said: “I grew up in the age where if you said something, you meant it, and I don’t think it is fair to treat people like this.

“In two years, they have done nothing.”

County Hall spokesman Owen Morton said: “Oxfordshire County Council indicated it would pursue plans to install a larger bridge if flood modelling work carried out by the Environment Agency indicated this was the appropriate solution.

“The latest flood modelling report indicated that a replacement bridge would not provide significant benefit to those houses most at risk of flooding and as such, the council has concluded that the scheme is not justified.”