Extra cash for flood defence work

The money will be help protect homes and businesses

Flood protection projects in Yorkshire have been given a boost by £7m extra funding from the Environment Agency.

The money will be spent on improving defences at flood-risk areas to better protect nearby homes and businesses.

Projects have been earmarked for Wakefield, Selby, Ripon and parts of Doncaster.

The extra funding means the Environment Agency now has £42m to spend on flood defences in Yorkshire and the Humber region over the next year.

Toby Willison, Environment Agency regional director, said: "Given the impact of the flooding in Yorkshire over the past year, these projects will improve the resilience of communities by reducing the flood risk to thousands of homes and businesses."

In Wakefield, new defences and a flood storage area will be created at Ings Beck. The scheme will reduce the risk to 1,200 properties.

Ageing flood defences in Stainforth, South Yorkshire will be replaced, which will reduce the risk of flooding to 1,935 properties.

Improvements will be made to defences at Ea Beck, and the electricity sub station at Bentley Ings, both near Doncaster.

Some 2,515 homes in Selby will also benefit from the improvements, as well as about 548 properties in Ripon.