A surveyor has come up with practical solutions for Oxford's flooding problems after getting a close-up view of the city's waterways - by canoe.

Mike Hamblett, 51, a former land surveyor, believes a series of straightforward, low-cost projects could offer a cure for flooding in Oxford, rather than waiting for a £100m flood defence scheme from the Environment Agency, which would not be completed until 2015.

Mr Hamblett's plans will be unveiled at a public meeting on Thursday after winning the backing of the Oxford Flood Alliance, set up by residents to reduce flooding risks in the city.

Mr Hamblett has seven years' experience as a land surveyor in the flood protection and land drainage department of Southern Water.

He said: "I was so dismayed about the poor flood victims in Duke and Earl Street last year that I thought I had to do something.

"They're sitting there with anxiety, not knowing when the next episode of flooding is going to happen. It's ruining their lives.

"The Environment Agency study won't be finished until 2010 and then there probably won't be any money for a £100m scheme anyway. It isn't in the interests of these consultants to come up with low-cost, practical solutions, because they want the money involved with a big scheme."

Mr Hamblett, of Harpes Road, Summertown, added: "I've been measuring all the culverts and the ditches on the main rivers and the side streams and all the obstructions to the flow. I'm beginning to feel like I know every square inch of this waterway.

"It's much better doing this survey in a canoe, because you can get access to everywhere on the waterway. You can also feel, as well as see close up, where the water is flowing and where it's clogging up."

Mr Hamblett's plans focus on the Hinksey Stream, at Redbridge and Kennington, which he describes as a bottleneck holding up water at Botley and Grandpont.

He said: "We must unblock Redbridge. We can't do anything about flood defences along Botley Road until we've sorted out the Redbridge area.

"Widening of culverts here is vital and would probably only cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, not millions. The point is we can do these small jobs cheaply now, rather than waiting years for a grand scheme."

Environment Agency spokesman Dave Ferguson said: "We have not studied the waterway by canoe yet but it's something that could happen in the future. We're working closely with the Oxford Flood Alliance to develop plans to reduce flood risk in the city. We welcome opinions from anyone who has knowledge of the local waterways."

The plans will be outlined at the Democrats Club, in East Street, Osney Island, on Thursday at 7.30pm.

Mr Hamblett hit the headlines last year when he was prosecuted over a protest against the county council painting lines in his street for a parking permit scheme.