FRESH flooding research is set to begin in Hampshire in a bid to unlock millions of pounds of Government money.

County council chiefs say that Hampshire receives less than it should do from central Government, and are set to start a pilot looking at new measures to attract more Government funding.

Much of the county, including Romsey and Winchester, was hit by some of the worst flooding in a generation earlier this year.

Many residents were forced to move out of their homes, while businesses were hit and Army and Navy personnel had to be drafted in to help.

But despite bids for pots of Government funding, the Daily Echo revealed earlier this month that funding for flood defence schemes would only be released in 2021 – a decision described as “laughable” by some of the residents affected.

Now county council chiefs want to work with the Government and agencies including the Environment Agency to get more cash for Hampshire’s most threatened areas.

County environment boss Cllr Sean Woodward told the Daily Echo: “We have this issue that the awards of money for flood defences really favour very populous northern towns because floods could affect 1,000 homes.

“The current formula for flood grants is not favourable to predominately rural counties like Hampshire. We want to run this pathfinder project in the hope that we will be able to generate higher amounts of funding from Government.”

The pathfinder project, which could be approved at a Cabinet meeting today, would see the council work with communities on preventative measures such as ditch maintenance and changes in land management.

Those measures could then be combined with low-cost engineering works.

Two pilot studies would be launched, based on the Itchen and Test rivers, which would see the council and other agencies work with communities to create awareness and work out the best ways to prevent and react to flooding.

In turn, Cllr Woodward said that presenting evidence both on the damage of floods and how they could be averted with more funding could lead to more cash hand-outs to prevent communities in Hampshire having their lives ruined by flooding in the future.