FLOOD victims in North Tawton are putting pressure on the local authorities to come up with the extra cash needed for a flood relief scheme in the town.

A petition of 1,000 signatures from local residents was presented to the West Devon Partnership meeting on Monday, which is made up of representatives from the borough and county councils.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has approved a grant in principal of more than £300,000 towards the scheme, which in total is expected to cost £750,000.

West Devon Borough Council, who commissioned a feasibility study into North Tawton's flooding problems and submitted the funding bid to MAFF, is currently working on detailed designs, an environmental assessment and land negotiation in order to progress the project.

But residents, some of whom have been flooded three or four times since Christmas 1999, are concerned about the length of time it is taking to get something done.

Pauline Millis, who lives next to the River Taw in Mill Lane Cottages, said there was a lot of talk but little action. 'We keep hearing the same old thing but we want action now,' she said.

'There are trees and silt blocking the flow of that river that could have been cleared out by now — a local person has even offered to clear it free of charge but nobody from the council has taken them up on it.'

Mrs Willis said she did not believe a huge amount of money was necessary to do the work but now this funding from MAFF was in place it was important everyone chipped in so the scheme could take place as soon as possible.

Head of environmental services Nick Payne said he would like to have had the trees from the river removed within a few days but the council had been a victim of circumstance in that respect. First the landowner had to be identified and, once he had agreed to remove the trees, the land became saturated and then the foot and mouth regulations came in.

Mr Payne said the environmental assessment report which had to be done along with detailed designs for the funding from MAFF to be released had also been delayed a little due to access problems on the land.

'I do feel however that we are making very good progress under the circumstances,' he said. 'We have always maintained that we would like to have financial contributions in full or in kind from all the organisations who have a stake in this but the main priority at the moment is to get the various documents together that are required to submit the scheme to MAFF.'

Presenting the petition on behalf of the North Tawton residents on Monday was Devon County Councillor Bill Cann who said it was important a flood relief scheme was put in place as soon as possible so people did not have to go through the fear of being flooded every time it rained.

'I will do whatever I can to support the people of North Tawton but I would like to thank the officers of the borough council, particularly chief executive David Incoll and Nick Payne who have worked very hard on this project — getting £300,000 out of MAFF is no easy task.'

A public meeting to update residents on the latest regarding the flood relief scheme is being held at North Tawton Primary School on May 3 at 7.30pm.