Planned legislation aimed at easing flooding does not go far enough, Tewkesbury campaigners say.

With the town having suffered more than most in the July 2007 deluge, residents have been eagerly awaiting Government action to prevent it happening again.

But although there is a Flood and Water Management Bill going through Parliament, campaigners in the town are not impressed.

Alistair Cameron, the Liberal Democrats' Parliamentary spokesman for Tewkesbury, said the bill was a "damp squib" which was too limited in scope to prevent another major disaster.

He said: "The bill will help to clarify the responsibilities of the different authorities which have to deal with flood risk, which I welcome.

"However, there are glaring omissions. It does not give the councils powers to prevent major developments on flood plains.

"There are also no long-term plans to build up spending on flood alleviation to the levels needed over the next 15 years in the face of increasing risks from climate change.

"We need to see both of these key issues tackled if we are to avoid another crisis.

"Those residents who were personally affected by the floods will be bitterly disappointed we have seen so little action from the Government."

The Tewkesbury-based Severn and Avon Valley Combined Flood Group also has strong reservations.

Secretary Dave Witts has sent the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs a total of 19 pages of comment in response to its consultation on the proposed legislation.

He said: "This bill does not fulfil the promises made by Gordon Brown when he visited Tewkesbury in 2007 or the promises by Sir Michael Pitt in his review of the flooding. The whole subject of flood and water management covered by the proposed legislature is much fractured because there are so many issues which can influence water management and flooding in particular.

"The lack of links between this bill, planning regulations and the Government planning policy document PPS25 is a prime example and needs to be addressed.

"We feel there are areas in the bill which should be made stronger because, like PPS25, they are open to interpretation.

"It's like the old saying, 'Give them an inch and they will take a mile'. This applies to central government as well as developers."