THAT work needs to be carried out to prevent a repeat of this winter’s flooding in Hampshire is a given.

As this paper reports today, a survey funded by Hampshire County Council reveals that infrastructure developments are required if towns such as Romsey are not to find themselves threatened again by rising flood waters.

The heavy rains of the early spring saw the armed forces brought in to prevent numbers of homes from being overwhelmed as well as parts of Winchester city centre. But despite heroic efforts some residents were faced with the appalling consequences of flooded homes and numbers of businesses suffered losses.

What is plain is that defensive and preventative work needs to be carried out.

But at what cost and who will pay? And if wet weather and floods are to be commonplace as our climate changes, should we now accept that funds need to be found to maintain defences and this will mean extra taxes or the loss of other services?

It is too early to know whether the risk of flooding is to be a common factor in Hampshire. It will take a few more years for a pattern to emerge.

But that should not prevent us from being prepared and to know where the funding will come from.