Hassocks residents whose homes were swamped could be saved from future flooding by overflow ponds.

Plans have been drawn up for two balancing ponds to take excess rainwater from the village, which suffered severe flooding last year.

On the first anniversary of the floods, Mid Sussex District Council agreed to include the ponds in next year's capital programme budget.

In October and November last year the area around Parklands Road and Keymer Road at Spitalford Bridge suffered flood damage.

Water swamped eight shops in Keymer Road and eight houses and 24 gardens in Parklands Road.

The floods spread from the nearby Herring Stream, swollen because the Downs were saturated.

The council agreed to consider the scheme for funding next year.

This would involve building two ponds to act as balancing ponds for storm water coming off on two different sections of the stream.

A third pond is to be built near Damien Way, Keymer.

President of Hassocks Traders Association, Ron Batchelor, supported the scheme but said it was already a year since the floods and he wanted to see immediate action.