COUNCILLORS in Worcester have proposed a change in the way funding is allocated for flood defences.

In a letter to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Worcester City Council asks for less complex rules when deciding eligibility for flood defences.

The letter, which was discussed at the inaugural cabinet meeting on Tuesday, is to be used in the Flood and Coastal Defence Funding Review Consultation.

It says that the current regime for assessing eligibility for funding flood defence works is too complex and restrictive.

"It does not adequately ensure that economic, social and environmental issues are addressed," says the letter, which was approved by cabinet members.

"A revised scheme should enable areas that regularly suffer from flood (such as Worcester), but which are unlikely to reach a financial threshold for major flood defence schemes to be economically viable, to access some central Government funding each year to use on smaller defence schemes and flood prevention initiatives."

Councillor Adrian Gregson told the cabinet that Worcester was unfairly treated in the current funding system.

"At the moment there is a threshold base and if you don't meet it you don't get flood defences," said Coun Gregson.

"The letter is saying we need to address that.

"We should still put in flood defence mechanisms.

"Clearly, what we want is the council to approve the letter to start the consultation, take time to make it clear to the Government it needs to adopt a policy in order to deal with places like Worcester."

The council is suggesting that instead of looking at a property's overall value before making decisions about flood defences it should look at a pound per square metre value.

"We remain of the opinion that property values are playing too significant a role in assessing whether flood alleviation schemes are economically viable," says the letter.

"This should not be the case."

The cabinet approved the letter and endorsed its submission to DEFRA.