WORK has started on a £2.2m project which aims to reduce the flood risk to 110 homes in Northway and Marston.

Contractors and councillors gathered yesterday to launch a flood alleviation scheme after years of flash floods blighted people's lives in the area.

The communities were hit by floods in 2005, 2007 and most recently in 2012 due to being in close proximity to Pearsmoor Brook and the Headington Hill Tributary.

After calls for action to be taken, Oxford City Council has now started installing flood defences, including flood-proof doors at the Oxford Boxing Academy and higher pavements in Saxon Way.

At the launch, councillor John Tanner, board member for a clean and green Oxford, said: "It’s really good to see this anti-flood work get underway.

"I hope there won’t be too much disruption for local people. But it will definitely be worth it as it will significantly reduce the impact of flash flooding in Northway and Marston."

Major work will begin at Northway Community Field and Court Place Farm Recreation Ground in the New Year, including the building of natural embankments, widening of the channel and creating a wetland reserve as a flood plain which will be able to store torrential rain water before it is released into the drainage system.

All the work for the scheme which has been in the pipeline for the last ten years is expected to be completed by summer 2017.

The project moved forward after Oxford City Council won £1.6 in funding from the Environment Agency and Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership granted a further £600,000.

Labour city councillor for Headington Hill Nigel Chapman said he was pleased to see the work finally start.

He added: "Residents have put up with a lot of pain other the last few years so I am pleased we have started this work.

"Flooding really disrupts people's lives and we need to prevent that from happening again."

Mr Chapman said he did not think the building across the A40 at Barton Park would have an impact on flooding in Northway and Marston.