Plans to fast-track flood defences for Ryedale could be scuppered - because many Yorkshire local authorities will not raise their council taxes to pay for the work.

Now the councils and Ryedale MP John Greenway are pressing the Government to meet all the costs out of central funds.

And a group of Ryedale flood victims is planning to travel down to Westminster next month to ram home the message. One of them, Norton resident Di Keal, said today they hope to meet Agriculture Minister Elliot Morley and even visit Downing Street to press Ryedale's case.

The Environment Agency wants to bring forward its £4 million scheme to protect Malton and Norton by a year.

Fourteen local authorities across the Yorkshire region - including North Yorkshire and City of York - have been asked to agree to a 59 per cent increase in their levy to the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee to help meet the cost. But an Evening Press survey of the councils has revealed that many are not prepared to raise their taxes, and want the Government to provide the funding instead.

Seven councillors, representing all 14 councils, are set to discuss the matter at the committee's next meeting in York on January 11. Two councillors representing six of the local authorities - Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster Boroughs, Derbyshire County and Bradford and Calderdale Districts - said they will not increase their council taxes to raise the levy.

Coun Grenville Horsfall, representing Bradford and Calderdale, said: "Calderdale did suffer during the flooding so we understand the importance of defences, but it is down to the Government to sort the problem out."

Jack Goodhand, who will be representing Barnsley, Rotherham, Doncaster and Derbyshire, said a rise in council tax was out of the question.

"The only option open to us is approaching the Government and asking them to fund the work; there is a real need for defences but we cannot increase council tax," he added.

Representatives for Leeds and Sheffield City Councils said they had not yet decided, while Coun Peter Sowray, representing North Yorkshire County and City of York Councils, said they would press for extra Government funding but ultimately there could be no option but to increase council tax.

"Too many people have been affected in this area and we need to get these defences in as soon as possible - whether it means tax rises or not," he said.

A spokesperson from the Environment Agency confirmed that the amount of money available for flood defences would be directly affected by the number of councils which agreed to pay.

"But we don't yet know whether this will affect Ryedale's flood defence scheme because it has not been decided which areas are a priority," she said.