A COUNCILLOR has called for work to begin as soon as possible on a new flood defence scheme for the River Tees.

Stockton Council yesterday gave the go-ahead for the £5m flood defences at Lustrum Beck. But work is not due to start on the scheme until 2007.

Tory councillor and Stockton Mayor, Jennie Beaumont, said the Environment Agency had been dragging its heels for too long on the issue and called for work to begin immediately.

Coun Beaumont, who attended yesterday's planning meeting, said: "This has been put off and put off, year in, year out, and I would say to the Environment Agency that they really need to get moving on this now."

Lustrum Beck was hit by significant floods in 2002, which affected Hartburn, Primrose Hill, Newtown and Oxbridge.

However, as reported in The Northern Echo earlier this week, the Environment Agency said improvement work could be delayed beyond 2007 if Government money was reassigned elsewhere.

The £5m cost is being met through Government grants and council funding.

The new plan follows a multi-million pound flood defence scheme further up the Tees, in Yarm, and combines a flood storage area with local defences at Oxbridge, Newtown and the Tilery.

The flood storage area would be at Hartburn, upstream of the town, and would only be used to hold water at times of flooding.

The final plan was agreed following consultation with residents by the Environment Agency, including a series of open days two years ago.

The £5m cost is being met through Government grants and council funding.