WORK on making sure that parts of the Ribble Valley are better protected from floods is set to start in the summer.

The Environment Agency wants to remove banks of pebbles and gravel shoal from stretches of the River Ribble which should mean it has the capacity to carry more water before it floods.

In October, 2000, homes in villages like Sawley, Ribchester and Waddington were severely damaged by floods when the River Ribble burst its banks.

A combination of melting snow running off hills and a continued downpour meant too much water was flowing into the river.

Although the Environment Agency and Ribble Valley Council were on hand to evacuate people and put sandbags outside homes, the flooding prompted serious attempts to see what improvements could be made in the future.

According to a report presented to Ribble Valley's community committee, it had been hoped that the removal of the gravel banks would start last year but the foot and mouth epidemic and its associated movement restrictions halted the project.

The report states that a new programme of improvements will take place from June to September this year, ahead of the autumn and winter period, when floods are most likely.

The gravel to be removed has built up over a number of years against the middle pillar of road bridges which run across the Ribble, effectively creating an island around the pillar. By removing the gravel, more water will be carried by the river and its flow will also be improved.

Coun Brian Sowter had requested that the gravel removed be placed on the upper reaches of the Brennand and Whitendale rivers to improve spawning grounds for fish. But an Environment Agency spokesman said: "The gravel will either be sent to tip under licence or, with the agreement with landowners, used on nearby land to fill potholes. This way, it would be recycled."

A similar project will also be undertaken at Skirton Beck, near Bolton-by-Bowland. A build-up of gravel there has also given cause for concern, the report states.