RESIDENTS in Mill Avenue, Broadway may be left without flood alleviation work now parish councillors have refused to stump up a 25% contribution.

The estimated cost of a flood alleviation plan has soared from £77,000 to £139,000.

At a parish council meeting last Thursday (24) members turned down a request to stump up 25% of the estimated bill from parish funds.

Parish clerk, Don Shryane said: "Wychavon District Council has asked us for a contribution of 25% of the cost of option 15 over a period of three years."

He explained that the preferred option involved the construction of a reservoir to contain flood water from Buncher's brook.

During discussion it was revealed that the final cost may be more, and that the parish council would be left with future maintenance bills.

Coun Jim Clark said: "I do not think that taxpayers' money should be spent on a small portion of the village."

Chairman Peter Riley said: "Although we sympathise very much with the people who live in the properties up there we cannot be expected to underwrite the cost, which is an unknown factor."

Council agreed to inform Wychavon that they could not support their request at this time.

Head of engineering at Wychavon, Carl Craney said: "We have yet to receive the parish council's answer.

"However if they do not agree to pay a contribution, like all other parish councils, then the scheme will not progress."

The need for flood alleviation work was given priority by the council following the Easter floods of 1998, when water from the brook poured into houses in Mill Avenue.

Residents now fear every time there's heavy rainfall that the catastrophe will happen again.