MP's attack over floods policy (From Gazette & Herald)

MP's attack over floods policy

A NORTH Yorkshire MP has slammed a new Government policy that meant a Ryedale market town missed out on much-campaigned-for anti-flood measures.

The Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee in Leeds confirmed the decision it made in January to shelve the Pickering scheme because of its low benefit to cost ratio - it will protect only 60 homes and businesses.

Members of Pickering Flood Defence Group heard that their £6.7 million scheme for Pickering Beck would only become a higher priority if the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) changed its scoring system - or the town suffered more floods.

Committee chairman Professor Roy Ward said: "Nothing has changed between January and now. What may change in the future will either result in the start of the action that (Peter Holmes, area flood defence manager) has outlined because the Defra threshold will reduce, or as a result of what happens in Pickering - further development or further flooding."

Mr Holmes said: "Every flood will change the way we calculate the flood risk - the more floods you get the more likely you will be to get a flood defence scheme."

But John Greenway, MP for Ryedale, said: "There have been three floods already and I don't honestly see why there needs to be another flood in order to create a higher point score.

"This is the madness of the new point scoring system that the Government has introduced. Pickering people have had enough experience of flooding already."

Gordon Clitheroe, chairman of the defence group, said: "We are disappointed that we've lost out and we do realise that Pickering is still at risk from more frequent future flooding.

"We aren't prepared to wait a long time. We're going to be a thorn in the side of the Environment Agency until Pickering is protected."

In the wake of the devastating floods of autumn 2000, Pickering was one of a group of towns given special status by Defra that promised a fast-track route to flood defences.

The special status granted by the Government expired on March 31, and representations from the agency for an extension were thrown out by Ministers.

Updated: 12:28 Monday, April 19, 2004