WORK is continuing on city flood defences - including the Foss Barrier where a new gate was lowered into place at the end of January.

But a council report says some projects have hit delays and the pandemic has added costs of £1.5 million to the Environment Agency's York programme.

Construction on a Foss flood storage area at Strensall is set to start in the coming weeks. Work on the construction compound for flood defences at Clementhorpe is underway, with the scheme set to take 18 months to complete. Work at Bishopthorpe, including a new flood gate in Chantry Lane, is set to get underway at the end of May or in early June.

Work on raising the Clifton Ings flood barrier has been delayed due to several setbacks - including difficulties finding the right type of clay for the job.

Upgrades to the flood defences in Museum Gardens at at Maygate are set to begin next month. Plans to upgrade culverts under St Nicholas Fields nature reserve at Tang Hall Beck have hit setbacks and the Environment Agency (EA) is reviewing the scheme.

Cllr Paula Widdowson, who will discuss the updates at a meeting tomorrow, said: “It’s excellent to see the progress made on schemes across the city in the last few years. This speaks not only to the effectiveness of the partnership between the council and the Environment Agency but also to the Liberal Democrat councillors' strong commitment to protecting our city and residents from what are ever-frequent flooding events.

"Investment in our local flood defences combined with innovative approaches and strong leadership will go a long way towards ensuring that residents and businesses in York are better protected in the future.”

The impact of the pandemic has added costs of £1.5million to the EA's projects in York - but a report says the costs are being managed so that they do not affect the plans.