ABINGDON MP Dr Evan Harris is pressing the Government for money for quick flood relief measures, to help avoid a repeat of the summer's floods.

More than 600 homes and properties in Abingdon and Vale of White Horse villages were damaged in July and many people will not be able to return to their homes until later this year.

Speaking to members of Abingdon Chamber of Commerce at their monthly breakfast meeting last Thursday, Dr Harris said that after cuts to the Environment Agency's budget, the Government had promised more money.

He said: "There are two issues: one is that money is needed sooner rather than later, and secondly, we need to see work on some flood relief measures undertaken quickly instead of having to wait.

"The Environment Agency said the flood was a one-in-40-year event, but I'm not convinced about that. There have been three floods in the last eight years and people are worried that it could happen again. I want to see the agency implement some relief measures in the next 12 months."

He said there were certain "pinch-point" vulnerable spots along the River Ock that needed attention and other short-term issues that needed dealing with so water could flow into the River Thames more quickly.

Dr Harris said Abingdon took a "big hit", with both the rivers Ock and Stert flooding homes and properties after torrential rain.

He shared the concerns of many victims that there was inadequate warning. He said the police worked hard warning people of the imminent danger, but the timing was out - some residents were warned early, but it came too late for others.

Meanwhile the prospective Conservative Parliamentary candidate for his seat of Oxford West and Abingdon, Nicola Blackwood, has been gathering signatures from residents as part of her campaign to press Gordon Brown to draw up a comprehensive assessment of flood risk impact and to insist on integrated flood defences for all future building programmes.

Miss Blackwood is also calling on the Government to look carefully at proposed housing developments in Oxfordshire.

She said: "I want the Government to ensure that there is no adverse impact on the schools, medical centres, transport links, waterways and other infrastructure by conducting full investigations into impact of building programmes on local infrastructure.

"People are in desperate need of affordable housing, but the Government must realise that the necessary infrastructure for transport, health and education must be provided before the extra housing is delivered."

An Environment Agency spokesman said: "We are identifying areas along rivers where small-scale works could be carried out that would help make a difference to rivers should another serious flood occur.

"We are examining such things as clearance work at certain pinch-points where debris accumulates and where some minor engineering works could be carried out in the short term.

"We are drawing up a major report following the July floods and the feedback we received from the public following our flood surgeries held last month, so we can look at the broader, long-term programme of relief measures. In the end, it's down to Government money. We cannot do everything we would like to do, but that's the same for many organisations."