RESIDENTS have told of their disappointment and frustration after discovering major new flood defences will not be built in their York street after all.

Householders in Terry Street, South Bank, say their homes and gardens have been repeatedly flooded when the River Ouse has burst its banks.

They hoped the Environment Agency was finally going to install full flood defences, as it is planning to do in nearby Clementhorpe, using £45 million set aside for York in the wake of the devastating flooding of 2015.

But now they have received letters telling them the "most appropriate solution for properties in South Bank is Property Flood Resilience".

Resident David Brown replied to the agency saying: “I can hardly express how disappointed and frustrated I feel at this decision.”

He claimed residents had repeatedly been assured that a defence project was fully funded, and a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to protect their homes would deliver results. “But here we are, and the final plan is, as feared, to sacrifice our homes to the flood.”

Another resident, Helen Barnes, said she was out of her home for nine months after it was flooded in November 2000, and her garage, garden and porch were flooded again in 2012 and 2015.

“Frankly, we feel very let down,” she said. “We are asking for a public meeting for the residents of South Bank for a full explanation of decisions made and the opportunity to ask the many unanswered questions we have.”

Victoria McCausland, of the agency, said that when identifying the most appropriate solution for reducing flood risk, it had to meet cost benefit rules set by the Treasury.

“While other options were being looked at for the South Bank area, including embankments along the back of Terry Street, these have not met these rules.”

She said the agency was instead offering property flood resilience, such as non-return valves to prevent backflow in the sewage drainage system, door and window protection systems and air brick covers, bespoke to each house.

She said any resident of Terry Street or other streets in the South Bank area that had been flooded from the Ouse was eligible but the agency needed to hear from residents directly for confirmation that water had entered their properties in the past. She urged residents to email yorkfloodplan@environment-agency.gov.uk.

“We will continue to proactively engage with residents through August, before holding a number of roadshows to give people a full understanding of property flood resilience by showing example and case studies,” she added.