A NEW flood map has come under further fire, with one York resident claiming it could unfairly send his insurance premium soaring and the value of his house falling.

Chris Prior accused the Environment Agency online map of being "riddled" with inconsistencies and said it was overcautious predicting the risk of future deluges.

He claimed one error was to label the Leeman Road area - not flooded in 2000 and protected by embankments - as a 1-in-100-year risk, while Knavesmire, which did flood, was only 1-in-1,000.

Mr Prior, of Cinder Mews, beside the Ouse, said: "The 2000 floods were the worst in 300 years and the defences, although stretched, protected York from flooding.

"The agency should recognise the value of existing defences and the previous indicative flood plain statement only showed a small part of this area as being at risk.

"I have a 4ft high flood defence wall in front of my house and the property is at least 5ft above the Ouse flood plain.

"There was only three inches of water up this wall in 2000. To suggest that could rise five foot above this level once every hundred years is incredible."

Rail manager Mr Prior, 34, said the old indicative guidance was used when York council got planning permission for the new St Barnabas school in a lower-lying part of the area.

He said the agency raised no objections, and added: "Perhaps it should get real and stop protecting itself from insurers."

He has written to flood officials calling for information backing their case for increased flood risk.

He said: "I am not prepared to see my house price go down and insurance premiums rocket due to people squabbling over the difference between a 1-in-75 or 1-in-1,000 flood risk."

York MP Hugh Bayley branded the new map "incredibly misleading".

Deputy council leader Andrew Waller, echoed those concerns at a Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee meeting.

He said: "I am very concerned large areas of the city are shown as 'undefended' when this is not the case."

But the agency said the map was the most comprehensive and up-to-date ever.

Areas protected from flooding were not included because York's defences only protect against a 1-in-75-year flood, not the required national standard of 1-in-100-years.

Mike Dugher, flood defence engineer, said: "Flood waters follow the natural contours of the land and so an area may flood even though it is some distance away from a river. Just because an area has never flooded does not mean it is not a risk."

Map information should only be used as a "first step" in assessing risk by insurance companies.

Updated: 08:33 Tuesday, October 12, 2004