RESIDENTS of an area of York which was badly flooded in 2000 called today for flood defences.

The newly-formed Central York Flood Action Group said 27 residential properties and 34 businesses on the north bank of the River Ouse between Ouse Bridge and Skeldergate Bridge were severely affected by flooding in November 2000.

Now it wants it to be made a special case and prioritised when future flood defences are planned.

"This is the main undefended area of the city centre," said the group in a statement to the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee, which was meeting in York today.

"According to our figures so far, the average residential insured costs were about £30,000; business about £100,000, (including costs of £240,000 for public buildings), giving an approximate total actual insured cost of £4.2 million for this single flood event."

The group said it was asking the agency to make defences for the area a high priority.

"The agency put forward a flood defence scheme for the area in 1993: if flood defences were deemed necessary ten years ago, it is difficult to believe that the situation is now less urgent.

"This area is in the heart of historic York and the businesses that exist here play a vital part in the commercial, retail, leisure and tourism activities on which the city depends.

"In terms of tourism alone, further flooding would be a public relations disaster for York."

The group said that because of the area's unique characteristics, it would be particularly challenging to come up with a design that enhanced an area of great historic and aesthetic importance, and was acceptable to both residents and the wider community.

The committee was being recommended today to approve a ten per cent rise in the levy paid to the agency by local authorities across the region, including City of York Council and North Yorkshire County Council, to help fund new flood defences in the coming financial year - including a proposed scheme to protect Stamford Bridge.

The cost to York would rise from £847,000 to £931,000, and for North Yorkshire from £2,744,000 to £3,018,000.

The committee was told that the cost of flood defences for Malton and Norton had soared to £7.6 million - almost double the original estimated bill, partly because of extra costs caused by flooding last autumn.

Updated: 12:09 Thursday, January 09, 2003