Controversial plans for a tax on householders at risk of flooding have been abandoned.

Floods Minister Elliot Morley was today expected to opt for a one-off charge on developers who want to build on flood plains.

The alternative is for the cost of building new defences to be met by taxpayers across the country, which is the existing system.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pays the bulk of the bill for new flood defences.

However, Mr Morley has been carrying out a review of the way additional funding - as much as 35 per cent of the total spent on defences - is provided.

The most controversial option was the introduction a flood levy on homeowners who live in "at risk" areas.

This would almost certainly apply to parts of Lewes and Uckfield hit by repeated flooding during the past three years.

Residents and civic leaders argued it was unfair for people who had already suffered the agony of flooding to be hit in the pocket.

Mr Morley has now concluded the flood tax is not the way forward.

Mr Morley, who was due to confirm the decision in a written Ministerial statement today, was also expected to streamline the way funding for flood defences is allocated.

Regional Flood Defence Committees, which raise the cash not provided by the Government, are likely to be abolished.

They are expected to be replaced by a Regional Customer Body, which would receive money direct from the Government.