COMMUNITY leaders have welcomed a proposed £2.5m investment in flood defences to protect a city's residents and traders.

The Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee has set aside the funding for Ripon in its 2004 and 2005 budgets.

County councillor Bernard Bateman praised the move, but said greater urgency should be placed at a national level on sparing residents from further flooding misery.

"It is not good enough that these residents have to wait in the hope that we do not experience the same level of rainfall over the next four years," he said.

Sue Norton, spokeswoman for the Environment Agency, said: "The agency would like to build on this by undertaking a detailed study looking at flood risks in the city.