THE MP for York Central has written to the Government over the slow progress on flood resilience work in the city.

Rachael Maskell has written to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Theresa Villiers, about the issue.

Ms Maskell said: "It is now 4 years since the Boxing Day floods and York is yet again subject to flooding. Freak weather conditions mean that York is always at risk of flooding, and the city’s preparations for this must improve."

She said she has continuously campaigned for better flood defences for the city and for upper catchment management to slow the flow of the rivers to be put in place. Storing water upstream and planting and managing the moors differently can result in reducing the amount of water that comes into the city considerably.

She said: "While the Environment Agency have commenced their flood barrier programme in the centre of York, there are still properties that are unprotected, including in Clementhorpe where a new barrier is still to be installed, along Terry Avenue and over the other side of the river around New Walk, where basements of properties continue to flood when the river rises.

“The Climate Emergency is real. We are increasingly seeing freak weather patterns which are causing flooding across the country. York is one of many places which flood, and therefore it is vital that the mitigation is fast-tracked so that people feel more secure in their properties.

“There are still many issues relating to flood insurance which this Government has failed to resolve, not least for businesses and leasehold properties. I will continue to press the Government to resolve these issues, as they cannot leave residents having to face extortionately high insurance premiums and excess payments.”