FLOOD victims were furious today after planners called for a £1 million defence scheme at Stamford Bridge to be put on hold.

East Riding of Yorkshire councillors are being urged to defer Environment Agency proposals for permanent flood walls near the River Derwent's picturesque Shallows, in the centre of the village.

A report to tomorrow's planning committee meeting says they should press for moveable defences to be built instead. These metal sheeting defences could be installed by the council every time flooding threatens and then removed afterwards.

Officers say the amendment would reduce the impact on the Conservation Area, which many villagers have expressed concern about.

But village shopkeepers - whose premises were inundated in both 1999 and 2000 - fear deferral might cause delays leaving them having to get through not one but two more winter flooding seasons before they are protected.

Costcutter supermarket boss Bob Taylor warned that that traders are already living on the brink after insurance companies raised the excess on future flood claims to as high as £50,000.

"Where is that money going to come from?" he asked, warning that another flood or two could leave the village without any shops.

Carol Todd, who runs a tearoom and guesthouse, badly hit in both floods, said: "I think it's disgusting. It's appalling."

Peter Long, who runs the Homecare shop and also the village's petrol filling station, said: "They should get on with it."

However, a number of residents spoken to by the Evening Press said they were unhappy about the visual impact and would prefer moveable defences.

Parish council chairman and East Riding councillor Hilary Sayner said moveable defences had been successfully used elsewhere in the country, and many villagers would prefer to have them. She feared the agency's proposals would spoil the village's appearance and lose passing business.

Agency flood defence manager Peter Holmes said it was concerned that further delays in the planning process could delay the start and finish of the scheme, which the agency had hoped to complete by next October.

Updated: 10:46 Wednesday, November 07, 2001