West Berkshire flooding projects get £6.3m

Basins in Thatcham will collect excess water from pipes and ditches and later release it into sewers

Funding of £6.3m has been secured in a bid to protect homes and businesses in West Berkshire from flooding.

West Berkshire Council said the money from the Environment Agency would go towards five projects.

It will see three schemes in Thatcham finished, including the digging of huge ponds to collect excess water which is later released into the sewers.

In July 2007, about 1,000 homes were damaged in Thatcham as water rose up to 4ft (1.2m) during severe floods.

The funds will also go towards work to protect at-risk homes in Lambourn and a study in the Clay Hill area of Newbury.

The council said the funding was a combination of a Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) grant and a contribution from Thames Valley Flood and Coastal Committee.

Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]