- Charity Status – WFG is now a registered charity and was recently setup with four trustees, all who are founders of the original group formed 3 years ago. We intend to use this to gain more traction with the community and attract funding for our work, which is not for profit.
- Council Engagement – Our relationship has improved significantly with both the District and County councils. They have supported us along a number of fronts and take us seriously as a partner. We meet regularly as part of the Risk Management Agencies – Joint Agencies working group to reduce the risk of flooding in Witney.
- Environment Agency – We have formed a good working relationship with the EA and meet their team regularly to check on progress. This includes updating the EA Flood Model, critical to planning applications and supporting a long-term Flood Alleviation Scheme business case for Witney.
- River Sensors Project – Following the creation of a business case for a better understanding of how the river behaves in central Witney, OCC and WODC have funded our Sensors Project which will place several sensors alongside the river in the centre of Witney to allow us to study how the river behaves during flood events and clearly identify structures that impede good flow to learn more how to reduce flooding. This will soon be publicly accessible to anyone interested.
- Maintenance and Riparian Owners – The EA, supported by us, OCC and WODC have written a formal letter to over 50 riparian owners to remind them of their legal responsibilities to keep watercourses clear of any obstructions in the interests of drainage.
- Flood Warden Scheme – We have been working with OCC to establish a pilot Flood Warden Scheme for Witney. This is a critical part of the process of helping communities better prepare and have eyes on the ground locally to identify and mitigate any obstructions that impede the flow of the river. There are now 6 registered volunteer flood wardens, and we are getting ourselves organised.
- Community Emergency Plans – A critical component of joined up coordination and action during flood events, we have created a simple Community Flood Plan template that any area, street or community at risk can complete will include emergency temporary accommodation, so everyone has a plan when needed. We are also identifying and arranging for places of refuge where people can go temporarily. Contact us if you want a copy of the blank template to create your own plan.
- Waterways Day – We recently presented our annual update to notify all our partners and the local community of our progress to date. For more information contact us and we will send you a copy of our presentation, you can also visit: https://westoxon.gov.uk/WaterwaysDay
