CALLS for a “flood czar” to  take overall control of disasters like those which devastated parts of East Devon  have been made in a new  report.

The recommendations  are included in the document, Flooding In Devon,  which goes before the county council’s executive meeting tomorrow. It also calls  for improved communication at times of major flooding.

It wants Government  funding to help avert hardship, particularly in relation to incidents like the  freak floods last October  when more than 100 people  were made homeless in Ottery St Mary and Feniton.

The report recommends  the appointment of a floods  chief to take overall executive control when emergency strikes.

It says: “In Devon there  appears to be a lack of information around the impact of flooding and the  time taken to return to normality.

 “The impact of climate  change suggests that flooding will increasingly be a  problem.”

Costs of the clean-up in  Devon following the October floods was £1.5m.

The report stresses the  need for improved contact  with town and parish councils and supports an emergency and strategy plan, expected to be in place by the  end of this year.

It adds that communication between official agencies like local councils and  the Environment Agency  needs  improvement before,  during and after a flood  event.

Councils should also give  more careful consideration  to planning applications for  development on flood  plains, says the report.

Areas of East Devon and  Teignbridge are particularly at high risk from coastal  flooding.

But the report adds that  only 33 per cent of town and  parish councils have an  emergency plan to deal  with floods and only six per  cent of those which do not  have a scheme are completing one.

“The survey also showed  that communication is not  getting through in all cases,” it said.

“Feniton has now taken  the decision to complete an  emergency plan.

 “Although it is difficult to  tell if having a plan would  have made a difference on  the day, there were improvements that could have  been made.”

Flood victims at Ottery  say they welcome the report, including Chris Garlick of Thorn Farm Way, an  area which was badly hit by  storms and hailstones.

Mr Garlick, former chairman of the Otter Park Residents’ Association, said: “I  think everyone hit by the  floods will support this report.

“A person in overall  charge must have  teeth,  however, and I hope they  will help get some farmers  to help by not ripping out  hedgerows which could add  to flooding.”