Big floods require one of the Prime Minister's Big Society initiatives, according to Business Voice West Midlands.

It believes that self-help, along with everyone pulling together, offers the only way forward.

The lobby group's comments came in response to an official consultation on so-called sustainable development guidance - to be issued to councils and agencies across the country.

The aim is to ensure there is a joined up approach towards flood prevention and mitigation among the likes of Local Resilience Forums, the Regional Resilience Forum, the emergency services, the Met Office and the Environment Agency.

BVWM wants the country to be better prepared to cope with flooding on the scale of 2007.

And it called for full implementation of the recommendations of the Pitt Review, which followed the devastation.

In particular BVWM wants to see Local Resilience Forums be under an obligation to develop flood mitigation and flood prevention plans with the Environment Agency; a register of local businesses willing to help in the event of flooding; and clarity over the insurance implications of putting vehicles and equipment at the disposal of the authorities.

James Watkins, executive director, said: "These three recommendations are critical for future flood arrangements.

"Local businesses are concerned that current interaction between local resilience forums and the Environment Agency seem to be based on ad hoc informal relations rather than on agreed and robust protocols for co-operation that enables swift and immediate action in the case of any emergency arising.

"Obliging councils to work more co-operatively with local businesses to address flood risk issues would enable additional resources to be used and help contribute to fulfilling the Government's ambitions of the Big Society by enabling local communities to help themselves."

BVWM says Local Enterprise Partnerships, successors to the soon-to-be-abolished Regional Development Agencies, should take over the production of contingency plans.

Mr Watkins went on: "During the floods of 2007, 2008 and 2009 the RDAs played a role in helping local areas that were impacted by floods - a point that was highlighted for praise in the Pitt Review.

"Now that these agencies are being phased out, the guidance should oblige local enterprise partnerships, as part of their normal work, to undertake robust contingency economic recovery plans so that local areas are not left to drift for weeks or months after an emergency occurs.

"The longer it takes, the longer will be the recovery period for the local economies concerned."

The Pitt Review put forward 92 recommendations including the creation a 25-year plan to address the issue of flooding, along with the creation of a dedicated Cabinet committee; an overhaul of building regulations for homes built or refurbished in flood-prone areas; in general, building on flood plains should be the "absolute exception"; a joint nerve centre run by the Met Office and the Environment Agency;  electronic maps of all drainage ditches and streams, making clear who is responsible for maintaining them; more investment by utility companies to protect key infrastructure sites, such as electricity sub-stations; the phasing out of sandbags;  and at-risk households to have emergency kits, including torches, wind-up radios, wet wipes and rubber gloves.