YORK and Ryedale have missed out on Government cash to help victims of last month's floods.

Neither City of York Council nor Ryedale District Council will receive a penny out of £8 million in grants being distributed to 34 local authorities across the country by Floods Recovery Minister John Healey.

The decision comes even though homes and businesses were hit in both areas - notably in Pickering, where about 70 properties were inundated after the town beck burst its banks.

In addition, neighbouring Selby District Council is receiving £50,000, and Harrogate Borough Council £20,000.

Meanwhile, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, whose area suffered particularly badly from flooding, including shops, schools and libraries in the Pocklington area, is getting £600,000.

Ryedale councillor Howard Keal, a spokesman for Pickering Flood Defence Group, said today: "This just beggars belief. Seventy properties were flooded in Pickering in the worst floods in living memory.

"I was already concerned about the underlying neglect of Pickering, and this just adds insult to injury."

But Coun Andrew Waller, who represents York council on flooding matters, declined to criticise the lack of funding for the city, saying: "York was not hit hard by the flooding in June, and the actions at Elvington can be contained within our existing budgets."

But he said he believed that other areas which were severely flooded would need more assistance than was being offered.

Selby council leader Coun Mark Crane said he was pleased that money had been allocated to the district, where properties had suffered flooding, notably in parts of Selby, and also Saxton near Tadcaster.

Asked if he had lobbied for cash, Coun Crane said: "Candidly, no."

A Selby council spokesman said: "We would look to spend any additional money received in regard to recent flooding issues in the Selby district in the most effective way for the benefit of those who live and work in the district.

"Senior management at the council are currently putting together a plan to best allocate the money for affected residents in our community."

The Government said the money had been allocated to "reflect the relative number of households affected".

A spokesman said the £8 million, distributed to 34 local authorities across the country, was an initial payment from the £10 million announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown last Saturday to support the recovery work of local authorities in flood-hit areas, adding: "The rest will follow once we have an updated assessment of the damage."

  • Flood-hit businesses are being urged to apply for their share of a £2 million recovery fund from the regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward. For further details, phone 0800 022 6201, or go to www.yorkshire-forward.com