A SCHEME aimed at preventing flooding in Romsey is to benefit from a cash injection.

The Environment Agency is set to receive £25,000 towards the Romsey flood alleviation scheme for Greatbridge Road and the Mainstone area of the town.

This comes as civic chiefs try to prevent a repeat of the flooding which hit homes and businesses across Romsey nearly five years ago.

As previously reported, a £120,000 project to refurbish the Fishlake sluices was launched in September this year.

Last month the scheme received another £350,000 from the Southern Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, an environmental arm of central government.

Now councillors at Test Valley Borough Council have granted another £25,000 for the pot.

The money will come from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) reserve, which is collected from new developments in the area to go towards improving infrastructure, facilities and services across the borough.

The proposed works will protect nearly 200 homes by improving defences in Middlebridge Street, Winchester Road, Mainstone and on the River Test.

Work, which started earlier this year, is due to finish by next winter.

As previously reported, the winter of 2013/14 brought with it mass flooding to Romsey, starting on Christmas Eve.