Marlow could face another two winters without flood defences after potential flaws were discovered in the £8.5 million scheme - with residents complaining they have been left in the dark over the revelation.

Work on the huge flood defence project was expected to finish this year and prevent the scenes of devastation caused by the 2014 floods which forced dozens of people out of their homes.

However the initial model for a new separate lower Thames scheme announced in December – which also includes Marlow - suggest storage lakes included in the original plans may be unnecessary.

If this is the case the project will be thrown in to disarray and a brand new application omitting the lakes would have to be presented to Bucks County Council, delaying the start date to 2018.

The scheme is being co-ordinated by the Environment Agency in conjunction with Bucks County Council, Wycombe District Council and Marlow Town Council.

The current plans include raising the ground level at Gossmore, which went ahead last summer, pumping at Pound Lane and construction of compensation storage lakes at Low Grounds Farm.

After criticising the effectiveness of the current plans, the Marlow Society teamed up with the Marlow Archaeological Society and called for a meeting of the EA and BCC to shed some light on the issue.

Chairman of the Marlow Society, Martin Blunkell, said: “Time kept passing and no work was being done so we wanted to find out exactly what was happening.

“The Marlow representatives expressed concern about the lack of information about the proposed flood alleviation scheme for Marlow.

“Minimal information was available in the public domain, there was no understanding of how the proposed pumping of ground water was to function and a similar lack of understanding applied to the expected functioning and effectiveness of the compensating lake planned at Low Grounds Farm.

“The new model may show that the compensating areas at Low Grounds are not required and that their omission would have no impact upstream and downstream.”

Fears will not be confirmed until the new model has been completed in three months time – after which the EA will decide either to continue with the current approved plan, or present new plans to BCC.

If the EA decide to continue with current plans then work will start this time next year, however if a fresh set of plans are needed then the new scheme will not be launched until 2018.

Mr Blunkell continued: “Many of our members and the people of Marlow will be disappointed that promises made were not actually followed through.

“We are disappointed that as all this information is available we have been kept in the dark.”

The EA agency is yet to fully comment on the plans but has insisted the approved scheme is currently being progressed while the review takes place.