Villages could be deliberately put at risk of flooding to save properties in neighbouring towns.

The Environment Agency plans to scrap flood defences to allow the River Ouse to burst its banks and pour on to nearby land.

Officials say the scheme is the best way to manage the increasing flood risk in Newhaven and Lewes.

But council chiefs have warned it could expose the A27 to greater risk of flooding as well as increasing the threat to the Lewes to Newhaven railway, electricity pylons and the local water supply.

And villagers last night reacted with anger at the suggestion they should sacrifice their homes to reduce flooding problems elsewhere.

Michael Bell, chairman of the parish council in Hamsey, said he was "alarmed" by the idea. "The risk of saving Lewes to drown Hamsey doesn't sound too good at all," he said.

The Environment Agency's draft catchment flood management plan will be discussed at a meeting of Lewes District Council today.

It proposes removing defences such as river embankments in the middle and lower Ouse areas to create wetlands that will reduce flooding in Newhaven and Lewes.

The report comes as a response to severe flooding in Lewes and Uckfield in 2000 and sets out the agency's strategy for the next 50 to 100 years. The Environment Agency spends £410,000 a year maintaining flood defences for the Ouse area. Locations where defences could be removed include Sheffield Park, Newick, Barcombe Mills, Hamsey, Chailey, Wivelsfield, Ditchling, Streat, Westmeston, Plumpton, East Chiltington, Lewes Brooks, Glynde, Ringmer, Firle and Beddingham.

The Environment Agency said it could not say how many more properties in these areas would be more at risk of flooding under the proposals, but without the work a major flood like that which struck in 2000 could cost as much as £156 million to clean up.

Staff at the Bluebell Railway, which has its headquarters in Sheffield Park, said the plans would be "devastating" to the tourist attraction.

Spokeswoman Avril Gaynor said: "The area is already prone to flooding. It would be absolutely disastrous."

Alex MacGillivray, chairman of Barcombe Parish Council, said: "I'm very concerned about this.

We would need to see some details and be included in the consultation."

Peter Gardiner, Lewes District Council's member for planning, said: "The key is to try to do the best we can.

"I wouldn't say these outlying villages are generally liable to flooding. There's some risk but it's not as great as in Lewes."

Lewes MP Norman Baker said he supported the idea of flooding farmland to reduce the risk of flooding in Lewes but only if it did not push the problem on to other people.

The Environment Agency said getting rid of the river defences would mainly affect farmland and could help wildlife.