FLOOD defence schemes in Ryedale could be brought forward by a year in the wake of the recent disaster, Ryedale MP John Greenway revealed today.

He said that, following conversations with senior Environment Agency officers, he was "hopeful" the organisation would speed up a £4 million protection scheme for Malton, Norton and Old Malton, and also a £1.3 million project to protect properties at Pickering.

That would see the work getting underway in 2001/2002, rather than 2002/2003, he says.

But he stressed today that, even if the agency goes for a fast-track approach, its recommendations would still have to be approved by the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee at a meeting in January.

And he felt it was as important as ever that the Evening Press petition to Save Ryedale from Flooding is presented to that meeting with as many signatures as possible to re-emphasise the strength of feeling in the area to committee members.

He said the committee would have to agree to the money being found out of local authority levies.

But he said the extra £51 million for flood defences, announced by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott following his visit to flooded North Yorkshire, was likely to mean that local authorities would pay a smaller percentage of the costs of a scheme.

"The extra money the Government is providing means the central Government grant could increase from 45 per cent to 65 per cent," he said.

"That means that with the Malton and Pickering schemes costing around £5 million, the local authorities would only have to find £2 million instead of nearly £3 million."

He said the Evening Press campaign, and the depth of support for flood defences that it had exposed in Ryedale, had already been noted by the agency.

"The most recent floods the second in less than two years has now produced an unacceptable situation, and something must be done."

Referring to the agency's refusal to come to the meeting, Mr Greenway said he understood that it was "desperately busy" inspecting and renovating existing flood defences.

But he felt it would have to come to a public meeting in due course to hear the concerns of local people.