Proposals to restrict development in "flood risk areas" have been backed after a politician claimed householders across Oxfordshire "watch the skies with trepidation".
During a full county council meeting on Tuesday (July 9) last week, there was widespread support for a motion brought forward by Green Kidlington councillor Ian Middleton.
This called on developers to "contribute to reducing existing risks in flood prone areas" and "provide more powers" to "limit developments" in these areas.
Mr Middleton's proposal, addressed to the county council in its capacity as the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), comes after a bout of winter flooding in Oxfordshire.
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Speaking at the meeting, Mr Middleton said: "What I'm asking for in this motion is not some kind of backdoor method to stop development but to make sure we put the right houses in the right place.
"To develop in areas that are not going to create more problems with flooding and put those problems onto other communities.
"I've seen that first-hand in my own community."
Seconder of the motion, Green councillor Robin Bennett, said of flooding: "For the residents affected it goes on years and year and years.
"Increasingly with climate change and increased moisture in the air and all of the issues that follow that's going to happen more and more and more."
Conservative councillor Nick Field-Johnson said he was happy to support the motion as "we have a real problem with flooding in our rural communities".
But the Labour group raised some concerns.
Labour councillor Charlie Hicks said line two of the motion "looked like trying to add an argument to blocking housing under what is otherwise a very reasonable set of concerns".
Mr Hicks added: "We of course have very significant concerns about flooding in our areas."
All councillors voted in favour of the motion except Labour councillors who abstained.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Middleton said: "My motion received wide ranging support during the debate from most county council colleagues, including the Conservative, Lib Dem and Independent groups which I was extremely pleased about.
"So it was disappointing when councillor Hicks said that his group wouldn’t be supporting the motion.
Flooded Abingdon Road in January. (Image: Oxfordshire County Council)
"The suggestion was that enhanced powers might be used to stop housing developments which was never the intention, except in cases where they would either make flooding worse or if developers would not commit to providing improved protection for surrounding communities.
"It seems ludicrous to allow building on sites where surrounding areas could see flooding made worse."
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About the author
Noor is the Local Democracy Reporter for Oxfordshire who covers political stories from across the county.
She began working as a journalist in Oxford in September 2023 having graduated from the University of Oxford.
Noor was trained at the News Associates journalism school and can be found on X through the handle @NoorJQurashi
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