Local Growth Fund Case Study: Upstream Flood Storage at Northway and Marston

Climate change has brought about the ever-increasing risk of floodingwith the Environment Agency’s ‘best estimated cost’ of the 2015/16 floods that took place across the country sitting at £1.6 billion.

During 20052007 and 2012 the Oxford areas around Northway and Marston were subjected to flash flooding due to their close proximity to Peasmoor Brook and the Headington Hill Tributary with the resulting damage to several residential properties and businesses.  During periods of flooding local roads and pathways were impossible to usewith it taking as little as half an hour of torrential rain to cause flooding of homes in these areas.

In 2016Oxford City Council started work on the £2.2m Upstream Flood Storage Scheme at Northway and Marstonwhich included a £600000 grant from the government’s Local Growth Fund secured by OxLEPwith the aim of protecting 108 residential homes and 2 businesses.

The plan outlined for this project was to convert ‘open green spaces’ and recreational provision into dual-use areas.

Benefits resulting from the project include:        

• Flood protection for 110 properties
• Delivery of ecological improvement to Northway Field Peasmoor Brook and Court Place Farm Recreational area
• Enhancement of the recreational provision at Northway and Marstonthe new Football Authority-compliant and full-size football pitch in Northway Community Field opened in January 2018. 
• New trees planted and following consultation with local residentsnewly created flood banks were planted with a range of wildflowers.

Despite environmental conditions that would have previously led to floodingsince mid-2017 when the project was completed there have been no reports of flooding affecting the properties roads and pathwaysa clear indication that the flood storage scheme has been successful.

View our other Local Growth Fund Case Studies