THE November floods highlighted many shortcomings in the existing flood defences of our region. Indeed the Environment Agency has said that we now have the worst flood defences of any region in the country.

Many hundreds of homes were affected - many more only just escaped. Had the level of the Ouse been only inches higher, there would have been widespread breaches of the existing flood wall and many thousands more properties and businesses would have been affected - marking a true catastrophe on a huge scale.

The Environment Agency is well aware of this and requested additional funding - not only for major new capital projects but also for many lesser, but nonetheless vital schemes.

In addition, there is an urgent requirement to carry out much-needed maintenance work to existing defences and also improvements to flood warnings systems. The work the agency recommends would need to see a 37 per cent increase in its levy this year - or roughly a 10p per week increase to ratepayers.

However, the Flood Defence Committee felt it was wiser than the experts and only approved a ten per cent increase, leaving a shortfall of around £4 million. While this may be good news for Stamford Bridge and Malton/Norton, where work on providing some defences can at least start, the decision to leave the Environment Agency under-funded by such a huge amount is to be deplored.

Many believe that November should be regarded as a warning of more flooding conditions to come - it seems that it is a warning the Flood Defence Committee Council representatives have chosen to ignore.

For those of us still not able to return to our home, this is a bitter pill to swallow.

Roger B Green,

Howard Drive,

Rawcliffe

Updated: 10:47 Saturday, February 17, 2001