Flood-hit Perth residents have been stunned by news the council will put no new defences in place.
Bridgend householders have called for flood defences to be built but Perth and Kinross Council has rejected a £250,000 water drainage scheme and said nothing else can be done.
The streets were awash again last Monday when flash floods caused problems at Bridgend Cross.
Severe flooding devastated homes and businesses in July 2011 when a torrential downpour was described by some onlookers as a “mini-tsunami”.
At that time, water poured down from the Lochie Brae and Bowerswell Road, turning Gowrie Street and Main Street into rivers.
The local authority commissioned engineers to investigate the efficiency of existing drainage systems and identify measures to mitigate flooding at a reasonable cost.
A spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, no ‘quick-wins’ could be identified.
“The consultants identified an option that involved the construction of a new high-capacity surface water drainage channel at Bridgend junction and an upgraded drainage outlet to the River Tay. The outline design was completed with a provisional cost estimate of £250,000.
Unfortunately, this option could not guarantee any formal level of flood protection.”
She added the proposal was considered in October but there was a lack of available funding.
She said: “Bridgend regrettably suffers as a result of its topography and there is no engineering solution which could guarantee adequate flood protection without a full-scale remodelling of the junction area and the properties surrounding it.”
She said the council would maintain the existing drainage network.
Graham Fleming, Bridgend, Gannochy and Kinnoull Community Council chairman, said: “The council appears to have looked at only one engineering solution, which turns out not to be very cost-effective.
“Flooding in Bridgend is a very serious problem and is a major obstacle to establishing viable businesses in the area. It is imperative the council investigates this further and adopts a more ‘can-do’ approach.”
Tony Ramsay, of Cross Keys, Bridgend, said the council is “talking tripe” and the drainage would be a “quick fix” answer. He was backed by Derek Cook, 47, whose wife, Margie, runs Hair and Beauty and claimed Bridgend is “a forgotten area” of Perth.