A LONG-AWAITED flood defence scheme for Tadcaster has been put back three years, it was revealed today.

Work was due to start on the £7 million project next April - but has now been postponed until 2008 because of a shortage of money.

The Environment Agency has been forced to prioritise its flood defence plans to take into account the spiralling costs of other schemes.

The cost of Selby's flood defence scheme, for example, due to start this autumn, has doubled from £5 million to £10 million.

The decision to put back the Tadcaster project today came under fire from angry town councillors.

The council's deputy chairman, Steve Helsdon, said they had written to the Environment Agency expressing their disappointment at the delay.

He said: "Tadcaster always seems to be last in the pecking order. It's annoying and very frustrating.

"Part of the town centre was under several feet of water in autumn 2000, but we still end up with the rough end of the stick.

"Tadcaster just seems to be an afterthought and it's wrong. I'm fed up with it."

Fellow town councillor Don Bain-Mackay said: "I think the agency is pushing its luck. We coped in 2000, but only just.

"I am very alarmed by the delay, and the agency could end up with egg on its face."

Environment Agency project manager Steve Goring said the agency was fully committed to building a flood alleviation scheme for Tadcaster.

Unfortunately the project had had to be moved back in the agency's long-term plans due to funding issues and individual priorities.

Mr Goring said it was now hoped work could start on the Tadcaster scheme in 2008, subject to necessary approvals.

He said that after the floods of autumn 2000, the agency carried out emergency work to strengthen the "low spots" in the existing defences and they still intended to make these permanent.

In autumn 2000, the River Wharfe rose above existing defences in the town, flooding about 30 properties.

The proposed new scheme will include a combination of sheet piling walls, reinforced concrete walls and earth embankments.

Updated: 10:41 Wednesday, June 16, 2004