Reducing flood risk through strategic scale growth - sharing experiences from the Oxford to Cambridge growth arc

Laura Kitson – Strategic Flood Risk Planning Advisor Flood and Coast – June 2019

Overview

•  What is the Oxford to Cambridge arc?

•  Where does flood resilience fit in?

•  Who is involved, what are we doing differently and why?

Oxford – Cambridge Arc – the economic potential

What are the limiting factors to economic success?

The arc currently generates ~£110 billion GVA PA This has the potential to rise to ~£250 billion by 2050

CambridgeandOxfordaretwooftheleastaffordableplacestoliveintheUnitedKingdom,withhousepricesdoublethenationalaverage.

…and how to overcome them to maximise potential

Rail

Schemes include the proposed Oxford

to Cambridge Expressway

East-West Rail

Road New homes to be delivered by 2050

Up to 1 Million

Flood risk and the Ox-Cam Arc

Flood risk and the Ox-Cam Arc

What does this actually look like on the ground?

•  Existing examples •  Enabling infrastructure for

economic development in the Fens

•  Enabling infrastructure for housing development in Milton Keynes

•  Future enabling infrastructure •  Thames Valley Flood Scheme

The Fens – enabling production

Milton Keynes -managing flood risk from all sources

Upstream storage – Thames Valley Flood Scheme

•  How can you use upstream storage to reduce risk?

•  Is it feasible? Is it cost effective?

•  Complementing existing schemes and improving climate resilience

Enabling infrastructure - what do we need to adapt to climate change and enable growth?

•  Large scale multi-site storage •  Strategic flood management in the Fens •  Strategic surface water flood risk management

Collaboration – bringing together growth and flood resilience

“The area has not been subject to dramatic flooding events in recent years, which can mean

the issue is paid little attention.

However, it should be remembered that it was flooding infrastructure which brought much of

the landscape above water in the 1600s, and it is the continued work of flood risk

infrastructure which ensures it remains so. In this sense, flood risk infrastructure should be considered enabling infrastructure, in that it

allows a great deal of economic activity to happen in the first place (land being the most

fundamental of all the economic factors of production).”

“Levels of investment in flood defence infrastructure should be

substantially increased”

Collaboration – bringing together growth and flood resilience

The Government has continued to work with partners

locally to encourage strategic thinking around

climate resilience, water management and

biodiversity net gain.

There are opportunities to deliver strategic flood

alleviation across multiple river catchments whilst

providing benefits to people including access and

recreation, and we have secured key support from Regional

Flood and Coastal Committees.