A NORTH YORKSHIRE MP said today she would continue to press the Government to ban applications for housing in areas where there is a risk of flooding.

This week marks the fifth anniversary of the floods which struck York and the county, and Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh said she had written letters to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott asking him to step in.

Miss McIntosh pressed Mr Prescott in a Commons debate a week ago, asking him to agree that "where there is a risk of flooding, no planning permission should be given".

Miss McIntosh's constituency was hit hard by flash flooding earlier this year, while York suffers the annual threat of the River Ouse bursting its banks.

She wants the Government to put a legal obligation on planning authorities to follow Environment Agency advice on applications in areas prone to flooding.

Mr Prescott said a new planning policy would be issued for consultation which aimed to "strengthen and clarify" policy on development and flood risk.

He said: "As the Honorable Lady knows, we are strengthening planning requirements on flooding and introducing a much more risk-averse policy than that which presently exists.

"I am pleased to say that we have warned local authority planning bodies that they should take the advice of the Environment Agency into account.

"Since we did that, the number of applications that were contrary to advice given by the Environment Agency on flooding risk has fallen quite considerably.

"The Honorable Lady probably knows that I am involved in consultation on whether to strengthen the Environment Agency yet again and to put a requirement for consultation on a statutory footing."

Miss McIntosh said today: "I have asked a further question and written to Mr Prescott about this.

"York and North Yorkshire is coming under enormous pressure to come up with affordable housing, but there's not much point in having a home if it will flood."

On York's position, a City of York Council spokeswoman said: "In such cases we would ask the applicant to assess the flood risk and would also consult with the Environment Agency.

"National guidance is provided by the Government, and the Environment

Agency takes a lead on this."

Miss McIntosh wants local councils to act strictly in line with Environment Agency rules. That is likely to cause more anger in Selby, where a bitter row with the Government is already running concerning local flood defences.

The Government wants the management of Selby Dam, Cockret Dyke and Holmes Dyke to pass from Selby's Internal Drainage Board (IDB) to the Environment Agency, to the anger of local people and MP John Grogan.

Selby and Barlby were hit hard in the 2000 floods, with the cost of protecting properties with flood defences hitting £14 million.

Updated: 09:37 Tuesday, November 01, 2005