Councils in Sussex have been awarded more than £600,000 to help protect residents from flooding.

The Government cash is aimed at safeguarding communities from surface water flooding, where heavy rainfall overwhelms drainage, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said.

Under the deal, Brighton and Hove will get £275,000 – the most of any local authority in South East England, while Eastbourne will receive £175,000 and Crawley and Worthing will also share £175,000.

The amount of funding awarded to each local authority is related to the estimated number of properties that could be affected by severe rainfall and the expected average cost of developing a surface water management plan for the area.

Despite Lewes missing out on the funding this time, Lewes MP Norman Baker welcomed the grants.

He said; “I lobbied for Lewes to get funding and something is being done so I view this as everybody else catching up.

“If money can be made available to stop people’s homes from flooding then all to the good.”

The funding is part of £9.7 million awarded over two years to 77 areas across England where evidence shows the risk and potential impact of surface water flooding could be highest.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is also spending £1 million on making training and data available to help all local authorities manage flood risk.

Climate change predictions indicate that intense rainfall is likely to increase, resulting in an increased risk of surface water flooding.

Mr Benn said: “Local authorities have a crucial role to play in tackling flooding and it’s vital that they have the information, resources and skills they need.

“That’s why we’ve provided this money.

We want to make sure it gets to where it’s most needed and where it can make the biggest difference – especially as we know climate change will cause increased severe rainfall in future and bring with it an increased risk of surface water flooding.”

A spokesman for Defra said that local authorities which missed out on the money could apply for a grant from £5 million of separate funds being made available.