Funding has been approved for flood defences to protect Wigton.

The revelation came at a meeting in the town's Market Hall on Thursday to hear the findings of a draft Flood Investigation Report.

Environment Agency officials heard from about 40 people about their concerns over the potential flood risk brought by a string of proposed housing developments in Wigton.

Chris Evans, from the agency, told residents that Wigton - which currently has no formal flood defences - has been allocated funding for a flood defence scheme, but couldn't specify how much.

He explained: "Because of what's happened this year, funding has been secured for Wigton to develop a scheme.

"There are conditions around this because it does have to be economically viable. It needs to be technically feasible but also environmentally sustainable, but as long as we tick these boxes we've got funding to actually put something in place.

"Hopefully with the maintenance, with the scheme and opening up communications as to what it is you need, and so you're updated, we're going to have some short, medium and long-term approaches."

Proposals for two developments on Low Moor Road and others near West Road, Station Road, Burnfoot and Syke Road are worrying residents, who fear the water will have nowhere to go.

Wigton resident Jim Blaylock said: "If they're going to build 300 houses at Lowmoor Road, I want to know what's going to happen when it rains. Somebody is going to suffer."

They called for the Environment Agency to do a full assessment of the impact of the proposed developments in terms of surface water flooding.

Cumbria County Council's flood officer Andrew Harrison explained that guidelines dictate how much run-off developers have to calculate for.

"There's been a big change in the last few years that with a greenfield they've got to do all these calculations and they can't allow more water off that field as a developed site," he explained.

"There's big massive ponds, there's underground storage. They've got to satisfy the government guidelines, they've got to provide storage on that site for a 1-in-100 year storm, plus 40 per cent for climate change, so a lot of the time it should improve the situations.

"You'll probably get less in the town with a development than you would with a greenfield."

Mr Evans stressed the report is only a draft and is a work-in-progress towards deciding what short, medium and long term measures could be put in place to protect the town which has a long history of flooding.

He emphasised how important community engagement and input from people living in the town was towards completion of a final report, which is due to be completed in this autumn.

Town councillor Sandra Hodson criticised the report for its lack of detail.

She said: "The report is fluffy. It doesn't actually say we were cut off, which we were. We were totally, totally cut off and that needs to be in it."

Mr Evans said it would be include in the final report.