TWO of the victims of the worst flooding seen in Farringdon for at least 50 years returned to the site of their former home at Chase Fields on Tuesday, keen to lay the ghosts of the past and move on with their lives.

Charlotte and David Drew, who were one of eight couples who shared ownership of their homes on the New Downland Housing Association development, were joined at the site by Chase View tenant, Sonia Cory.

For them the occasion marked the end of a Òliving nightmareÓ following a mass evacuation at Christmas 2000 when, along with 14 other families living on the development, they were forced to spend the festive period at The Swan Hotel in Alton before being rehoused in temporary accommodation, unsure what the future would hold and where they would be living from one week to the next.

Seeking security in numbers, they banded together to form a residentsÕ association to fight their corner, with Charlotte Drew at the helm.

Since then there have been endless discussions with Downland, East Hampshire District Council planners, Environment Agency and water board officials to try to find a way forward but, while the houses at Chase Fields could now, under the terms of their leases, face repair and refurbishment, every one of the original residents has vowed never to return.

Having rehoused its tenants, including four families who have since returned to the relatively unscathed Chase View, Downland has done the only honourable thing and offered Òto buy back the problemÓ from the shared owners.

In a statement this week, the New Downland Housing Association (NDHA) confirmed that, Òin a continuing and genuine attempt to enable residents to move on with their lives after the floods at FarringdonÓ it had written to the eight shared owners at Chase Fields, reaffirming their rights, if they so desired, to have the properties repaired and refurbished in order to return home as soon as practically possible.

Following an agreement with the insurers, the contract for such works could have been issued in November following appropriate tender procedures.

But it was stressed that it may not be possible to obtain insurance cover for flooding after October 1 2001 - a major factor when deciding whether or not to return.

For those who wanted to move away, and in an entirely voluntary gesture, New Downland also confirmed its willingness to repurchase the shared ownership leases at pre-flood value - an offer which has since been accepted by all the householders involved.

Under no pressure now to act quickly, according to a Downland spokesperson, investigations are still under way as to how to move forward with the Farringdon site.

Furthermore, any additional anti-flood measures, such as the Ôgravity outlet schemeÕ, have yet to be decided on and would be dependent upon agreement with EHDC and the Environment Agency.

Having lived at Chase Fields for seven years, it was a sad decision for the Drews to move on but, having spent the past 12 months living in a farm cottage at Stroud, near Petersfield, they are looking forward now to moving into a new home at Bordon.

ÒWe are not happy about what happened but it did and it is an experience we will never forget. We have lived through a lot of trauma and hassle and experienced considerable loss - of personal things which are irreplaceable. But we have got to move on and that is what we are doing,Ó said Mrs Drew.

Having paid tribute to Downland for eventually Òdoing the honourable thingÓ, albeit after a fight, Mrs Drew was concerned that any future residents should be aware of the history of the site.

While not convinced that Downland knew the full history of the site, she feels strongly that anybody coming to live at Chase Fields should be aware of the problem with rising ground water, and that Òthey should not be fooled into believing that these properties will not flood again.

ÒThere are records as far back as 1852 which clearly document flooding of the site and, as sure as eggs are eggs, it will happen again,Ó she warned.