THE second phase of a £21 million York flood defence project has got underway - but it won't be finished in time for serious flooding which meteorologists say may happen next February.

The Environment Agency says its Clifton Ings Flood Alleviation scheme will better protect 135 homes in Clifton and Rawcliffe,  a neighbourhood which was badly flooded when the River Ouse reached record levels in November 2000.

A spokesperson said it will also reduce the risk of flood water spilling onto the A19 Shipton Road – an important transport route into the city.

They said the scheme will raise the height of the existing embankment, build a new pumping station for Blue Beck and includes habitat restoration for plants and wildlife.

"Phase one of the scheme completed in April this year and involved initial enabling works to prepare the site for development," they said.

"This included building an alternative Sustrans cycle track for walkers, runners and cyclists to use whilst construction takes place in Rawcliffe Meadow.

"Phase two is currently underway and expected to complete in summer 2024.

"Once complete, this will see the embankment raised and extended into Rawcliffe Country Park, a new pumping station for Blue Beck built, and habitat restoration works completed – including protection for the critically endangered Tansy beetle which lives in grassland on the site.

"Due to the popularity of the green space around Clifton and Rawcliffe, the Environment Agency has worked to maintain visitor access to as many different parts of the Ings as possible.

"Throughout the construction period, most of the site will remain open and the main access routes along its length, from the northern to southern end, are still open to pedestrians. Restrictions and path closures that have been put in place are necessary to ensure visitor safety."

Project manager Brendan Sharkey said Clifton Ings was an important and much loved green space, used by many people in York, 'so we’ve designed this scheme very carefully to minimise impact on the environment, visitors and the local community.'

The development comes after the agency launched its Flood Action Week campaign to encourage people living in flood risk areas to prepare for flooding this winter.

It says it has expanded its flood warning service to reach almost 50,000 new properties at risk of flooding and hopes to exceed its target for 62,000 properties by the winter.

The Met Office has warned that recent global weather patterns could lead to severe flooding in February.

It said the end of winter floods would be a result of a powerful pattern influenced by cooler temperatures in the Pacific, named La Niña.

"This is another La Niña winter, as it was last winter, so it would not be unusual if the wettest and stormiest part of the season with the greatest flood risk again at that end of the season, in February, as it did last winter," said a spokesperson.