SEVERAL areas of York could be in line for improved flood defences - but only after a lengthy wait.

The Environment Agency (EA) has revealed that it wants to give better protection for properties in parts of Clementhorpe, South Esplanade, Marygate, Skeldergate and North Street.

But residents and businesses could have to wait between five and 25 years before the work is carried out.

Mike Dugher, flood risk engineer at the EA, revealed last month that under its new Ouse Flood Risk Management Strategy, the agency wanted to strengthen flood embankments protecting hundreds of homes in the Leeman Road area of York within the next five years.

The EA also proposed to improve defences protecting Stillingfleet and Escrick within the same timescale, and in the longer term to increase flood storage areas upstream and downstream of York, such as Clifton Ings and Kelfield Ings, to reduce the amount of water flowing through the city at times of greatest flood risk.

The organisation has now printed a public consultation document on the strategy, and the papers reveal the agency's medium-term plans for better defences to protect several communities alongside the Ouse in York.

The agency says the improvements could not be justified in the next five years, under current benefit cost analysis, but could be in subsequent years.

It says the improvements would coincide with expected increases in the risk of flooding over the coming century because of climate change. The risk in some places is likely to increase from "moderate" today to "significant" in the future.

Moderate means the chance of flooding in any one year is one in 75 or less, while significant means the chance is more than one in 75.

The agency is planning to improve and extend defences in the War Memorial Gardens and North Street area, and the Skeldergate and Queens Staith area.

It proposes to improve existing defences in the former Queen Anne School, Marygate and Museum Gardens area, and the Lower Ebor Street area of Clementhorpe, in both of which locations the risks will increase to significant.

New defences are planned for Kings Staith and South Esplanade, where some residents have been campaigning for years for some protection from the Ouse. The agency says it hopes to carry out a study here within the next five years to see if it can bring a satisfactory scheme forward.

Updated: 10:28 Thursday, December 08, 2005