Long-awaited major flooding projects are both facing delays

It was announced yesterday that work on a new £13.8m flooding scheme for Skipton has been delayed until next year while further funding is found. It was hoped that work could begin on the scheme before Christmas but yesterday the Environment Agency said it had failed to secure enough cash for the project which will protect more than 500 homes and businesses in the town.

However the Agency said talks were continuing and it was hoped the cash would be in place to allow work to start in the New Year. It wants to create flood storage areas upstream of Skipton to protect the town.

Work has already begun on a long-awaited scheme to build flood storage areas to stop flood water sweeping into Pickering but yesterday it was revealed that bad weather has temporarily halted the works until ground conditions at the site show signs of improving.

Mike Potter, a member of the Ryedale Flood Research Group said yesterday: “Recent heavy rain has resulted in the site becoming waterlogged, so the contractors have made the decision to move off site until it has dried sufficiently to proceed in safety.”