A COTSWOLD town will be protected from devastating floods from now on, thanks to a hefty grant approved by the county council.

A grant of £220,000 for the Moreton Flood Alleviation scheme has been approved by the Gloucestershire County Council.

MP for the Cotswolds Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has welcomed the news that GCC has approved Cotswold District Council's application for the grant to protect Moreton-in-Marsh from flooding.

GCC had already granted £148,000 for the scheme but because the cost of the entire project will total £650,000, additional funding was needed. CDC will make up the rest of the amount.

The Moreton Flood Alleviation Board has been praised for its efforts in working with CDC officers to develop a scheme that is ready to go at a certain time.

Now that the funding has been approved Mr Clifton-Brown is hopeful that work can begin in autumn so that several hundred houses, as well as local businesses and schools can be protected from the worst of the winter floods.

"I am obviously delighted that GCC has recognised the good work of the Moreton Flood Alleviation Board and have now provided further funding for the scheme," said Mr Clifton-Brown.

CDC leader Cllr Lynden Stowe said the scheme has been in progress for some time.

"I’m pleased that finally the people of Moreton will be able to see, on the ground, the results of genuine partnership working," he said.

Moreton town and district councillor Robert Dutton, who is also a member of the board, said he was relieved to hear that the final funding was in place.

He said: "I have been pressing hard and relentlessly for seven long years, following the devastating floods in 2007, to ensure that Moreton is protected from being inundated again and am delighted this is now in sight with this ambitious scheme."