Floods: 2,000 free sandbags issued in West Oxfordshire (From Witney Gazette)

Floods: 2,000 free sandbags issued in West Oxfordshire

10:33am Thursday 17th January 2008 in Witney By David Horne

SANDBAGS are being prepared for distribution in West Oxfordshire as river levels continue to rise.

An extra 40 tonnes of sand has been brought in to the district council's depot at Witney and batches sent for localised use to Bampton, Woodstock, and Chipping Norton. So far, 2,000 free sandbags have been issued.

Each morning at 9am, the council's emergency flooding team of officers was meeting to update the situation and what action needed to be taken, said cabinet leader Barry Norton. Plans are in place for emergency rest centres.

"The prospect is that, though we have so far had reports of water getting into several homes in Ascott-under-Wychwood and Burford, it is going to get worse on Friday and Saturday," he added.

Today, the Guildenford public car park in Burford has been closed because of floodwater from the nearby river Windrush.

Charlbury cricket club, devastated by the floods along the Evenlode last July, has already taken emergency action by removing its equipment to higher ground. Today, the water was encroaching on the pavilion and store shed which were almost submerged in the summer.

The district was the county's worst hit area in July and has just received an extra £64,000 from the Government through the Bellwin scheme to cover council costs. It is on top of £623,000 already paid out, mainly through £250 grants to people whose homes were flooded.

The new money accounts for some of the extra costs on sandbags, overtime payments for council workers, and the clear-up operation, including taking away for free ruined furnishings.

People who need to request sandbags should call 01993 861000 in working hours, or in emergencies 01993 705056.