YORK MP Hugh Bayley is calling on the Environment Agency to speed up plans to strengthen York's flood defences.

Speaking up for areas hit by the 2000 floods, he pressed the agency to take action without delay.

"The flood in 2000 came within two centimetres of overtopping York's defences," he said in a consultation on the agency's River Ouse Flood Risk Management Strategy.

Mr Bayley said the agency should continue to explore measures, such as holding water back upstream from York or allowing agricultural land to flood to save the city.

"In the meantime York must strengthen its existing defences.

"No progress has been made with designing defences for the city centre homes and businesses that flooded in Clementhorpe, Skeldergate, around Queen's Staithe and elsewhere."

An agency spokesman said it had invested more than £80 million in tackling flooding problems in Yorkshire since 2000 including enhancing defences at Barlby and parts of Selby, and repairs at Rawcliffe.

"The agency has a duty to ensure it looks at all the communities at risk and prioritises those who need it most," said the spokesman.

"York has defences in place which prevented flooding to thousands of properties in 2000. These defences are some of the best in the country and we would like to improve on this. More walls are not the only answer to flood defence work though. We have invested a lot of time and money in looking for a solution which will benefit the whole Ouse catchment, not just for the city of York."

The agency will publish a report next year on options for flood defence protection.

Updated: 10:52 Friday, December 10, 2004