WORK is progressing well on a village's ground-breaking flood defences - as the scheme is shortlisted for a new rural award.

Now parish councillors are hoping that Elvington, near York, will be fully protected from flooding by the summer.

The £350,000 project aims to stop floodwaters from the River Derwent backing up a beck into the village.

But the scheme, involving the construction of earthen embankments, a sluice gate and pumping station, was halted before Christmas because the area was flooded and heavily waterlogged following severe rainfall.

However, work resumed at the beginning of March as the ground began to dry out, and "tremendous progress" has since been made, says parish chairman Ian Bailey.

Mr Bailey said he believed the defences would be operating by July, but landscaping and tidying up would not be completed until September - one year after the work started.

The village has suffered from disastrous flooding on several occasions in recent years. Up to ten properties have been inundated at times, but up to 120 homes and businesses have also been repeatedly marooned by flooding in the main street, leading to concerns that emergency vehicles might not be able to get into the village in the event of a fire or accident.

Mr Bailey said Elvington had manged to get through the winter without another flood.

"The water was across the road but we just avoided another road closure," he said.

Meanwhile, the project has resulted in the parish being shortlisted for the inaugural Yorkshire Rural Awards, which have been set up to highlight the people and businesses who are leading a rural revival in the region.

The village is shortlisted in the Environmental Project category, sponsored by Yorkshire Water, with the winner to be announced by Yorkshire-born TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh at a gala dinner at Harrogate Pavilions on Thursday, May 10.

The project has been funded through a pioneering partnership involving the parish, City of York Council, the Environment Agency's Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee and local businesses and individuals.

A spokesman for the rural awards scheme said: "It is believed that this is the first time anywhere in the UK that a rural community has initiated and funded a "self-help" flood defence scheme to protect itself."