Rivers chiefs are to spend tens of thousands of pounds on defences to save a village from a repeat of last month's floods.

White Colne was one of the worst-hit villages with houses suffering severe damage.

Now the Environment Agency is set to install a "sea wall" in a bid to hold back the river.

Spokesman John Claydon said: "We are looking at some way of defending the houses. We will be carrying out a survey to see if we can install a wall around them with access gates, and clay banks on the field side, like a mini sea wall."

"The agency has met flood victims in the village. We've been talking with them to decide the best way forward."

Mr Claydon added: "There has always been a flood-risk there - this isn't the first time."

But he said the spiralling cost of damage repairs caused by repeat floods meant Government cash could now be spent on the problem.

"In the past the Environment Agency has worked on the cost benefits and unless we could show it was costing a lot of money each time properties were flooding we couldn't act.

"There has been a relaxation of the regulations recently and we can now look at smaller schemes to protect places like White Colne."

"It wasn't a problem in places like Colchester where hundreds of properties are at risk but there are still a few locations where just a handful of houses flood in extreme conditions."

The parish council is delighted with the news.

Clerk John Myhill said: "We welcome it with open arms. We would like to see it in place within two or three days but obviously that's impossible.

"The scheme still has to be designed and get funding but we are assured there is an 80 per cent chance of Government funding."

By Chris Wilkin

Reporter's e-mail: chris_wilkin@thisisessex.co.uk

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