RESIDENTS in an East Riding village that was to be left unprotected against flooding have been given fresh hope the area will be defended.

Maintenance of flood defences surrounding Sunk Island, in Holderness, was to be withdrawn as part of the Environment Agency's plans to manage flood risk along the Humber Estuary.

Under its original Humber Flood Risk Management Strategy, published last year, thousands of acres of "high-grade" agricultural land, worth almost £100m, and up to 1,000 homes could be lost.

However, agency officials have now carried out further studies around the village, south of Patrington, which could see defences maintained or new protection built.

It comes after an outcry from residents and politicians over the proposals about the Sunk Island area, due to the quality of its farmland and the loss of property.

The location was identified by the agency as a "priority" for further investigation after calls for changes were made.

Arthur Hodgson, of the Holderness Flood Defence Group, said: "The agency was heavily criticised when they published the original plans and I am pleased they have carried out further studies."

Previous calculations on the costs of flood protection meant those around Sunk Island could not be maintained, according to the agency.

But the new studies have included the rise in the value of land and property in the area and the three major gas pipelines running across it, such as those that come ashore at Easington.

The report also took into account the "wider implications of potentially losing such a large area of very productive land".

Three meetings have been set up to discuss the plans with residents, which will be held at Hedon Town Hall on Monday, May 11, Skeffling Village Hall on Wednesday, May 13 and Sunk Island Village Hall on Thursday, May 14. All begin at 6.30pm.

Philip Winn, Humber strategies manager for the Environment Agency, said: "We won't be making any decisions about flood defences at these workshops, but we do want to let people know the very latest information and come up with a way of working together in the future."