FLOODING has caused extra delay to a council's plan to extend an Oxford park and ride car park.

Seacourt Park and Ride's extension was due to be finished by the end of summer this year, following delays in the scheme last year.

But now Oxford City Council, which is carrying out the works, has said the project will be delayed for a further eight weeks.

A city council statement about the park and ride extension said 'challenging weather conditions in February' might delay the works by eight weeks.

This would mean the car park extension would open by October at the earliest.

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According to the council, the existing Seacourt car park reaches full capacity on a regular basis.

It wants to build 595 new parking spaces to 'reduce traffic and congestion on Botley Road and into the city centre.'

Oxford Mail:

Seacourt park and ride.

Oxford Flood Alliance member Liz Sawyer, who lives near the car park, said it had been flooded at various points over the Christmas holidays, as well as during the last few weeks of wet weather.

Ms Sawyer said: "The building site where they intend to have the extension has been flooded for nine weeks over the Christmas holidays, since about October.

"I am going to be speaking at the council meeting in March to remind them of this."

The Botley Road resident said planning documents submitted as part of the application to build the extension had not accounted for how often the land flooded.

She said: "The question is: what is the point of a car park if it is going to be out of use two weeks out of every four in the winter?

"Where is the alternative provision for those 600 people who are going to be expecting to use a car park they cannot use?"

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Ms Sawyer added she agreed Oxford's road would be freed up if more people were using the park and ride car parks, but said other sites should have been considered.

Oxford City Council's statement said: "The new facilities were due to open by the end of summer 2020. However, due to challenging weather conditions in February this may be delayed by some eight weeks."

It added approximately 102 of the existing car-parking spaces would be suspended so building work could take place.

The council statement continued: "The existing site will however remain open throughout the construction period and parking permits are valid at all the park and ride sites.

"We regret any inconvenience that the construction works may cause to the users of the existing car park."

Oxford Mail:

Fields which could be used for the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme, currently under water.

Also flooded due to high river levels caused by Storm Dennis were fields intended for use as part of the Environment Agency's Oxford flood alleviation scheme.

The EA wants to dig a trench up the eastern edge of the city to collect flood waters.

The agency is currently in a dispute with landowners in the area and wants to use compulsory purchase orders to take over the fields.