Hull Council is bidding with local authorities in the ports of Rotterdam, Copenhagen, Edinburgh and Hamburg for one million euros-worth of European funding to develop measures to combat flooding.

Council planners are interested in developing "aqua greens", areas which could be bunded or landscaped to channel water away from properties. The floodwater would simply eventually soak away into the ground.

In its bid to the European Union, the council says as well as cutting flood risk it would also make residents less anxious about a re-occurrence of last summer's devastating downpour.

One potential area for holding floodwater is Willerby Carr alongside Setting Dyke, which runs into the city from the west. More than 3,000 properties in the area were affected last summer.

The council is also looking at using more than half the city's secondary school playing fields as giant "soakaways".

In some cases channels would have to be dug to allow water in, or release valves installed.

A second project is looking at "water efficient development" in regeneration areas in east and west Hull and in the East Riding.

New homes are already being built with raised floor levels, but other measures, aimed at reducing run-off, would include installing water butts and underground tanks. Buildings would also have to have concrete floors, raised electrics and grey water recycling.

The council says a "climate-proofed project will prove crucial in attracting people to the city and also help retain the upwardly mobile in the population, thus ensuring a greater value of social and economic capital is retained and attracted to the city."

Rotterdam, meanwhile is looking at using public squares for holding storm water runoff "without consuming extra space and adding architectural value to the city."

The council's strategic planning manager Alex Codd said: "It's way of working with the facilities you have already.

"Some of these playing fields held a lot of water last summer any way, but they weren't designed to do that. We want to maximise their capabilities in directing water away from the drains and sewers.

"It is ensuring it soaks into the ground, rather than going straight into the drains.

"Potentially if parks got water in, it's much more suitable than in people's properties. What we are trying to ensure is that water is located in the most sensible locations."

The council's portfolio holder for the environment councillor Dave Woods said linking up with Rotterdam, which is leading on the project and other European ports, made sense. He said: "Why bring someone in to re-invent the wheel? The Dutch have been doing this for years. We are twinned with Rotterdam and they are happy to help us.

"Linking the five cities together we have some clout."

Last June over 8,000 homes flooded, including 90 schools and 100 businesses. Around 90 per cent of the city is within a flood plain. The bid will be considered at a meeting in June.