Victims of the Derwent floods said today a £4 million scheme to prevent a repeat of the disaster must go ahead as quickly as possible.

Just over a year after dozens of householders and businesses were forced to flee their flooded homes and premises in Norton, Old Malton and Malton, the Environment Agency has opened an exhibition outlining proposals for a series of flood banks and walls alongside the river.

Howard Keal, chairman of the St Nicholas Street Residents' Association in Norton, today urged townspeople to visit an exhibition about the proposals and stress to agency officials that there was an urgent need for the scheme.

And he said he believed the project could be achieved "in a sensitive and suitable way that would blend in with the town."

The exhibition, featuring possible options for a flood alleviation scheme, opened yesterday, just over a year after devastating flooding hit dozens of homes and business premises

"The most important message that we are looking for people to give to the agency is that a scheme must go ahead," he said.

"There must now be a significant flood relief scheme put in place."

Mr Keal, who spent several months living away from home last year while builders worked to repair flood damage, said artist's impressions of the defences proposed by the agency suggested a scheme could be achieved which could make Malton and Norton more attractive.

"It could actually end up improving the appearance of the area... as long as it's done well."

He urged members of the public to visit the exhibition, which continued until 6pm today at the Salvation Army Youth Centre, 7 Church Street, Norton, before moving to St Mary's community centre, Town Street, Old Malton, tomorrow, between noon and 8pm, and on Thursday (noon to 6pm).

"It's important that as many people as possible give their views, fill in the questionnaires that have been given out and underline clearly to the agency that something must be done as soon as possible," Mr Keal said.

The Vicar of Norton, the Rev Bill Ankers, said: "I called in at the exhibition yesterday. They seemed to put some ideas up and then shoot them down.

"The glaring thing I noticed when I looked around was that there was no mention of the lack of maintenance that there had been in recent years."

Mr Ankers said: "We know there had been some extreme weather and certain things combined to produce the flood, and one of those elements - according to the locals who have been here for quite some time - was lack of maintenance.

"There used to be men working the river, constantly cleaning and constantly polling the trees and so on. That is missing now."

Tom Collier, who chairs the regional flood defence committee, said: "What the agency are trying to achieve is widespread public approval for the scheme which appears to us to offer the greatest advantage to the people of Malton and Norton."

He said the level of flood protection was the best that could be afforded, and stated: "Cost is the most significant factor."

Mr Collier said the agency had to achieve value for money, according to a national scale of priorities.

Asked how the Malton and Norton scheme figured in terms of priority, he said: "It isn't desperately high. There are other areas of the country which are very much more vulnerable than the Derwent corridor."

The favoured scheme would consist of flood banks, like those built at Old Malton following flooding in 1947, where space allowed. In Malton and Norton town centres, which currently have no defences, flood walls would be constructed.

"It's an expensive scheme. All urban construction works are expensive," Mr Collier said. "It's early days, but we are looking at something in the order of £4 million."

Peter Holmes, the Environment Agency's Dales area flood defence manager, said he envisaged construction work getting under way in the 2002-3 financial year and taking several months to complete.

Mr Holmes said: ""Our job is to convince people that if they don't have a flood defence scheme, they may have a very close view of the river which they would not particularly want."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.