FLOOD victims and worried residents gathered last night to pick apart last winter’s rescue effort and put their heads together to hatch a plan should disaster strike again.

With only 40 expected for Marlow Town Council’s meeting, organisers had to draft in extra chairs as around 120 people descended on its Court Garden base.

Discussion groups assessed the authorities’ reaction in February when the Thames burst its banks in Marlow and surrounding areas after one of the wettest winters on record.

Communication, sandbag distribution, problems with sewage and agency accountability were all high on the agenda for residents, many of whom were forced out of their homes.

Opening the meeting, town clerk Annie Jones said: “We can’t stop the rain from falling and we cannot stop the river levels from rising, but what we can do is try and help you in the event that it happens again.

“It’s about how you can best be served in future.

“We do not have a statutory responsibility in the event of such an emergency, but we do want to make your lives easier in that event.”

Responsible agencies such as the Environment Agency and Wycombe District Council did not attend the town council meeting.

Instead, councillors wanted to ask residents what went well, what didn’t and what measures could be taken in future in order to pass on the feedback to the relevant bodies.

When floodwater began threatening homes in late January, some residents said they weren’t sure where to go for information.

An estimated 280 properties in Marlow are classed as ‘at risk’, with 55 being directly affected during the winter's floods.

These figures do not take into account nearby villages such as Medmenham, Bisham and Hurley, which were also badly affected.

The readiness of authorities such as WDC was called into question by residents, with worries it was late to put any relief plan into action.

And calls were made for a central, dedicated website to complement the Environment Agency’s concerning sandbag pick-up, help available and official updates.

One resident, acting as a spokesman for his discussion group, said: “There should be a dedicated website for Marlow as a first point of contact for any updates or contingencies.

“Also, we should be making use of the places like the Post office and the library through their role as central community hubs.

“You have to give people the information, because if you don’t the rumour mill starts turning and that’s when you get problems.”

A popular suggestion was a register of priority residents and homes to receive sandbags and assistance, using last year’s knowledge of the worst hit areas.

Despite thousands of sandbags being supplied by WDC, residents said there were problems getting them to the right places, with the elderly or disabled having problems shifting them into place.

And the biggest round of applause came after suggestions that no more buildings should be built within the flood plain.

Calls are now being made to hold a similar meeting, with bodies such as Thames Water and EA in attendance to give their account of the flood relief effort.