PUBLIC bodies are often criticised for spending huge sums of taxpayers’ money on private consultants brought in on inflated daily fees to tell them what they should do.

Sometimes, however, you really do need experts to help you make the most of your money.

The Environment Agency is preparing to spend £60 million on flood defence improvements for York.

The money is over and above the £17 million already being spent on upgrading the Foss Barrier, and will be invested in a range of different measures in 10 different areas of the city.

The ideas outlined in an action plan last autumn included raising and building new flood walls and new embankments, creating new flood storage areas and building new pumping stations.

The agency has pledged to carry out a full consultation with residents, including a number of drop-ins.

But first it needs to flesh out the details of its proposals - and aims to recruit consultants to help it do so.

There may be those who heave a big sigh on hearing this news, and think: ‘Here we go again’.

However, it is hugely important that the agency makes the right decisions about how to spend this money. If it doesn’t have the expertise in-house to enable it to do so, it would be a false economy not to bring that expertise in from elsewhere.

It is vital that this money is spent on flood defences, however - and is not frittered away. The people of York will be watching closely to ensure the agency gets good advice at a reasonable price from experts who really know what they are doing.