Sir - The Oxford Flood Alliance (OFA) represents flood victims in the Oxford area.

We read with interest Chris Walker's article (February 15) about flooding and the legacy of long-standing problems that Oxford faces.

Such problems are very evident at Redbridge, the area around the railway bridge on the old Abingdon Road in Oxford. Redbridge lies at the bottom of the V-shaped west Oxford floodplain. Narrow geologically, water flow is further hampered by man-built structures, plus a lack of maintenance over the years. Water gets dammed back, flooding land upstream. Last spring, the Environment Agency (EA) removed a serious bottleneck on Hinksey Stream on the eastern side of the railway. While this helped, the July floods showed that more is needed. West of the railway, watercourses remain badly obstructed. OFA has prepared a plan for short-term works here, which we are submitting to the EA.

The EA is planning a long-term flood strategy for Oxford. The study ends in 2009; if it is funded, work might begin in 2012. Will it be funded? It seems very possible that, at £100m to 150m, it won't. All we would have is a very expensive plan. While we all hope the long-term flood strategy does eventually happen, we cannot afford to do nothing in the meantime. With three floods in the past seven years - homes and businesses affected and lives blighted, with people still not back in their homes since last July's floods - the potential cost of inaction is too great. The short-term work needed at Redbridge is clear. The Oxford Flood Alliance will be doing all it can to make sure the work is done, and done as soon as possible.

Peter Rawcliffe, Richard Thurston, Andy Webber and Simon Collings, Oxford Flood Alliance