FLOOD defence work to reduce the risk of flooding from Pendle Water will be carried out next year.

The timetable was unveiled after a meeting of the North West Regional Flood Defence Committee announced work will be carried out downstream of Reedyford Bridge, between Nelson and Barrowford.

More than £2.5million has been allocated by the committee, which is composed of representatives from local authorities and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The work in Pendle is part of a £34million package of to improve flood defences across the North West in 2004/5. Proposals to improve flood defences are currently going through the planning process and work is likely to start in early 2005.

The Environment Agency said six homes were flooded in 2000 and 26 in 1992 in the area near Nelson and Colne College, and that work would reduce the risk to properties.

A portion of the money will also be used to improve the flood warning service, which alert households and businesses when flooding is possible or expected.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: "There has been some work done in this particular area before and this will add to it.

"The work will be done in a very localised area downstream of Reedyford Bridge where we will be building new flood defence walls, re-inforcing existing defences and improving the state of the river banks.

"The work is not likely to start until January 2005 but it is very much in the planning stage.

"Properties in this area were flooded in 2000 and in 1992 and we are anxious to ensure we reduce the risk to these properties."