NORTON Town Council has raised concerns over the impact of the recent flooding.

In a letter to North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC), Yorkshire Water and Ryedale District Council (RDC), members have questioned why has it taken the Flood Group, formed after the last floods in 2012, three years to produce a report, but taken no practical step.

They have also asked what support the county council can offer to residents in Norton, and areas of Malton that experience similar incidents, to bring together the responsible bodies to ensure measures are put in place to mitigate against this sort of flooding happening again.

Town councillors said that while flooding had been prevented to homes, a number of gardens had remained under water for some days, causing considerable damage to outbuildings and items stored in them.

"The Malton and Norton Flood Alleviation Scheme, which was completed in 2001, has prevented widespread flooding in the towns since its completion. But since about 2010 Norton has suffered from increased problems on the "dry side" of the defences when levels in the River Derwent are high," the council said.

"As the river rises and the valves that allow overflow water from the sewage pumping station to discharge into the Derwent are closed, raw sewage backs up and discharges into the streets and gardens, threatening homes and businesses."

After the 2012 flooding NYCC set up a multi-agency Flood Group, made up of representatives from the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, Network Rail and the county and district councils to look at this and other flood incidents in the county, presenting its report just before Christmas.

The letter adds: "The town council and local residents believe this latest event was wholly avoidable if the Flood Group had provided the further flood mitigation works that were identified within weeks of the 2012 event.

"As an interim measure to deal with emergencies such as that we have just faced we need gulleys under the road and railway line – a solution that was identified just six weeks after the 2012 event. We are reassured that the county council has started this work and during the recent road closure created a gulley under Church Street, but should this be required in another emergency it would be of little use until agreement is reached with Network Rail to install the gulley under the rail track."

Members also raised concerns over the diversions put in place during the flooding and the subsequent damage to road surfaces.

"On this occasion Church Street in Norton was closed for more than three weeks with traffic diverted using principally St Nicholas Street, Welham Road and Langton Road. Prior to the latest incident Church Street was in a shocking state of repair and the town council has been pressing for the highway to be resurfaced for some five years.

"The constant heavy traffic over the last few weeks – including use by trucks and buses – has now taken its toll on St Nicholas Street where the road surface is breaking up in many places."