Councils in Oxfordshire have been warned against giving planning consent to "inappropriate" developments on floodplains.

Planning Minister Caroline Flint has published new guidance for local authorities to make sure tough new rules are followed.

Since 2006, when it became compulsory for councils to consult the Environment Agency on planning applications in flood-risk areas, the Government has intervened on 24 occasions where it judged the EA's advice on major developments had been ignored.

The new guidance calls on all local authorities, in considering an application, to identify flood risks, prioritise non-flood areas for new development, assess whether the need to build outweighs the flood risk, use drainage and good design to control flooding and ensure all buildings are resilient and safe.

Ms Flint said: "We saw very clearly last summer the devastating potential of severe storms.

"We can't prevent heavy downpours or abandon those already living in floodplains, but wherever possible we need to make sure councils are avoiding or reducing the risk of flooding in their communities.

"The Government has put tough planning rules in place for flood risk areas that we need councils to enforce."