RESIDENTS in Clitheroe have welcomed a £54,000 flood defence scheme aimed at keeping the River Ribble at bay.

The Riverside residents gave their backing to the proposal when it was unveiled at a meeting at the Low Moor Club.

Several houses suffered thousands of pounds of damage after being left under a foot of water after the Ribble burst its banks following torrential rain two years ago.

The scheme, which will include a five feet high embankment and automatic flood warning system, was designed by Ribble Valley Council's chief engineer, Graham Jagger and is due to be completed next March.

The council has agreed to pay £45,000 towards the cost, with the rest being split between the Environment Agency and other organisations. Clitheroe Mayor John McGowan, who represents Low Moor on the Ribble Valley Council, said residents had reacted to the scheme enthusiastically.

They had campaigned hard since the 1995 floods, but had repeatedly been told by the council and the Environment Agency that no cash was available for flood defence in Clitheroe.

"The scheme will stop them from being flooded. They have fought for it since 1995 and hopefully this will prevent future problems. It is the end of a long and hard campaign," he said.

The new scheme will see an alarm at the Environment Agency triggered when the Ribble rises above a certain height in Low Moor. Agency staff will then contact residents and place them on flood alert.

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