THE Environment Agency has ditched plans for any more flood prevention schemes in Abingdon because the town is not deemed at high enough risk.

The agency spent £110,000 on a feasibility study into different schemes to reduce the risk of future floods after 661 homes were affected in summer 2007.

The preferred options would cost up to £3.5m but the agency has now mothballed them because the risk of a repeat is put at one in 275.

The only scheme to go ahead — a £50,000 project to demolish St Helen’s Mill Bridge — finished this month.

It is hoped the work will prevent the River Ock from bursting its banks and will protect 30 homes.

Homeowners hit by the July 2007 were furious at the decision.

An agency spokesman said: “The feasibility studies are very expensive anyway and are really just to help us understand the floods in detail.

“It also showed us that the flood event was extreme and very rare and the risk of that happening again was lower than we originally believed.” She added that the EA would carry out ongoing maintenance to the watercourses in the town.

According to the agency’s records, Abingdon has been affected by floods in 1947, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2007.

Ian Field, 54, of Mill Road, said: “There is obviously an existing flood risk and our concern is that the Environment Agency is not taking the risk seriously enough.

“We would like money to be spent to reduce flooding.

“It is certainly a considerable concern as we know a lot of houses have been flooded.”

Town councillor Sam Bowring, whose home in Tuberville Close was flooded in July 2007, has set up flood action groups in the town to lobby for improvements.

She said: “There is a lot more that can be done. It’s disgusting.

“It is unlikely to be another flood that affects that number of houses again but there could be another, say, 100 houses that could go under water.”

The EA put the chances of another serious flood happening in any one part in the town is one in 275.

However, 99 homes are still believed to have a one in 100 chance of severe flooding.

Ernest Wright, 80, of Galley Field, said: “I think it’s disgusting. Of course it’s going to happen again, unfortunately. I feel very distressed and sorry for the people that are affected by the floods.”

abingdon@oxfordmail.co.uk