THE busy road leading to Malton railway station and bus station is to remain closed until December.

The duration of the closure of Norton Road was set out by Ryedale District Council's property manager David Summers.

In a report on the Mill Beck and Priorpot Beck flood defence schemes to the community services and licensing committee, he stated that the authority's contractor, Seymour (Civil Engineering) Ltd, had started work on September 16 and their part in the work at Mill Beck was due to take ten weeks.

The working area had been very restricted for the contractors, which had caused some problems. "The site is difficult," he said.

Mr Summers said Transco's works could not go ahead as originally planned and, as a result, they had been on site from July 4 until September 7.

He added that the portable pump had been ordered in connection with the Priorpot Beck scheme and was expected to be delivered this month.

"Discussions are going on with the Environment Agency regarding the works needed to enable the pump to be used," he said.

Coun Elizabeth Shields, the committee chairman, said she was hopeful that contractors Interserve would finish their flood defence work at the same time as Seymours.

Meanwhile, Interserve and the Environment Agency have publicly thanked the people of Norton for their patience while night work was carried out.

In a newsletter to residents, project manager John MacDonald said: "Work originally planned to take place in late July had to be delayed due to the sudden dreadful weather which threatened the towns with further flooding. Fortunately the river stayed within its banks, but work had to be abandoned as it was too dangerous for workmen to be so close the fast flowing Derwent."

Work had to be carried out at night, he said, because the gap between the river and the railway line behind Commercial Street, Norton, was so narrow. "The only way it could be constructed was by running the piling machine alkong the rail track itself. The work had to be monitored by Railtrack who would only allow it to take place when no trains were running," said Mr MacDonald.

"Our best laid plans went slightly wrong when the torrential rain arrived. We had to abandon that section of the scheme as it was just too dangerous to have men and machines working so close to the river when it was so high.

"We would like to thank the residents who near this section of the scheme for bearing with us and putting up with the noise and sleepless nights. It is an essential part of the scheme and there was no other way in which we could have carried out the work. Hopefully the worst is now over!".

Residents have been told that once the defences are finished, the footpath will be re-laid and opened at the riverside park. "Where there has to be an opening in the flood defence wall to let people onto the footpath, a floodgate will be installed to 'plug' this gap in the river threatens to flood again. Most of the year the flood gates will be locked open" he said.

Interserve will have used 90,000 cubic metres of clay building earth embankments, and driven in 1600 linear metres of sheet steel piles in building the flood defence scheme.

At Old Malton, the embankments are now almost complete and landscaping work to enhance the area is planned for this autumn and the spring of next year.

Vicki Barraud the environmental advisor said the embankments will be grass-seeded and a new hedge of hawthorn and holly, planted between the embankments and the allotments.

In addition, field maples, ash and crab apples will be planted at intervals in the new hedge.

"The shrub land at Old Malton will create extra habitat for the otters along the Derwent" she said.

Seating areas on top of the embankments are also planned, giving landscape views of the river.

Updated: 09:27 Wednesday, October 09, 2002