A council scrutiny committee could be set up to investigate Keighley's sewage and drainage system following the town's three summer floods.

Cllr Andy Mudd (Keighley West, Lab) made the suggestion at a flood forum at St Anne's Community Centre, North Street, on Wednesday night .

The forum was organised by Keighley area co-ordinator's office to give people affected by the floods an opportunity to tell the relevant authorities their experiences and for some plan of action to be drawn up.

More than 100 residents, as well as Keighley town councillors, Bradford district councillors, council officers and Yorkshire Water officials attended the meeting. Although some people felt that no solution was found, assistant area co-ordinator for Keighley, Jeff Bennett, who chaired the meeting, promised the notes would form the basis of a plan.

Keighley town councillor Amjad Zaman said: "Flash flooding has happened three times in the previous eight weeks. A senior Bradford officer was quoted as saying 'The first flash flood was a one in 30-year storm'. The second time it happened he was again quoted as saying 'You are desperately unlucky because lightning does not strike twice in the same place'.

"Now it has happened three times, surely something must be desperately wrong with the infrastructure."

Cllr Mudd suggested that a full public scrutiny of the Keighley sewerage system be made and that no new developments allowed in the town.

He said: "Councillors and officers know the system cannot cope. Yet it still goes on giving permission for new development in the Keighley area."

Cllr Andrew Mallinson (Keighley North, Con) said Yorkshire Water needed to carry out a new survey of the town's sewerage system.

He said: "Five years ago there was a problem with the sewerage system in Keighley. At the end of the survey it was given the all-clear and that planning could go on. This clearly needs to be done again."

David Wilkinson, of Riddlesden, said: "What seems to be happening is a series of investigations by qualified professionals, who do not know what is actually happening when the water comes down."

Garry Ogden, managing director of Ogden Fibres, in Springhead Mill, said: "My overheads are wages, insurance and rates. I know what I get for my wages, I know what I get for my insurance, but I do not know what I get for my taxes."

Tony Poole, Bradford Council's drainage manager, said there was no easy answer to the problem. He said: "We have not had that sort of intensity of rain in 30 years. But we need to ensure what drainage capacity we have does work. Gully cleaning is part of it and we need to put our hands up and say 'Yes, we could do better'."

Yorkshire Water field engineer Mick Jessop said it was in the process of carrying out a full video investigation of the town's sewers.

Following the investigation, a hydraulic analysis of sewers in Staveley Road is due to take place.

Mr Bennett urged people to report their problems either at Neighbourhood Forums, or directly to his office on 01535 618002.