YORK'S need for a fair deal on flood defences is being driven home to the Government amid fears the city will not get the money it is asking for to combat downpours.

The Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee has written to Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, whose flood management spending plans have been criticised, to outline what the region needs to keep homes safe if this year's summer deluge is repeated.

It wants additional cash to be set aside to repair the damage caused by June and July floods, with the flood defence budget being used solely for vital new schemes such as strengthening embankments in the Leeman Road area of York, which will cost £2.2 million.

Pocklington and Pickering were also swamped in the summer after torrential rain caused becks to burst their banks. The deluge drove people from their homes, causing questions to be asked about the standard of the towns' defences.

Mr Benn announced in the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review this week that flood management funding would reach at least £650m next year and eventually rise to £800m by 2010-11 - but insurers have threatened to stop providing cover in high-risk areas unless more money is found.

York councillor Andrew Waller, who represents the city on the committee, says the bill for the summer devastation should not mean projects such as Leeman Road, which has already been delayed, being sidelined again.

"As expensive as flood defences are, mopping up after them is just as expensive," he said following yesterday's quarterly meeting of the committee.

"The Leeman Road scheme will happen, but we need the money in place and we need to know when we will get that money. Although we know we have to compete with other schemes, we can't have it being put back further than it has been already - I will be extremely concerned if it is.

"That is why we have written to Mr Benn asking for a one-off payment to be made to regions affected by this year's floods, otherwise flood defence schemes everywhere are going to be delayed again, and to make him aware of the concerns in our region.

"As his Leeds Central constituency was so badly hit by floods in 2000, he must surely appreciate the importance of adequate flood defences."

Coun Waller said more than the £650m-a-year outlined by Mr Benn needed to be spent on defences across the UK even before this year's problems.

"I welcome more spending, but all this extra money will do is keep up with inflation in building costs - and they will get higher," he said.