Water Quality Declines at Key North Yorkshire Swimming Locations

An annual assessment has revealed a decrease in the quality of bathing water at two coastal swimming areas in North Yorkshire. According to the Environment Agency (EA), water samples collected from Scarborough’s North Bay and Robin Hood’s Bay indicated a reduction in standard, moving from “good” to “sufficient.” Scarborough’s South Bay maintained its “poor” classification, which is the lowest available rating, whereas Sandsend, Whitby, and Cayton Bay continued to hold “excellent” ratings. Mike Dugher, the Environment Agency’s deputy director for Yorkshire, stated that an action plan had been implemented to enhance water quality in locations with poor ratings. The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that Scarborough’s South Bay had previously encountered pollution problems. However, the water in North Bay had an “excellent” rating until 2022, and the area received Blue Flag status last year, an international accolade for water quality, safety, and cleanliness. Mr. Dugher commented that although 60% of Yorkshire’s bathing waters achieved “good” or “excellent” ratings, the declines in quality were “disappointing.” He further added, “There is still much more to be done to ensure cleaner and healthier waters for people to enjoy and action plans are in place for poor and sufficient classifications.” Freddie Drabble, who leads the Scarborough environmental campaign group Sons of Neptune, had previously expressed that it was “unfair” for the South Bay to retain a “poor” rating next year, given that “significant investment and progress” had occurred. He also stated, “There is, of course, a lot more to do in Scarborough, but by continuing to work together and pool research we hope further improvements will be delivered.” Steve Crawford, a campaigner with Surfers Against Sewage, described the review as “incredibly disappointing.” He remarked, “We’ve had so many promises from water companies and different agencies to say they’re going to improve it and it seems not to be working.” He continued, “We shouldn’t feel threatened by such a beautiful thing we enjoy doing. It shouldn’t be damaging the town and it shouldn’t be damaging people’s health.” Yorkshire Water has finished a £2 million initiative aimed at decreasing discharges from a storm overflow into the North Sea at Wheatcroft, with additional investment planned for the Whitby Road Bridge storm overflow situated near Scalby Beck. Proposals are currently under consideration to alter the methodology for monitoring and testing bathing water quality in England and Wales; these will be deliberated during North Yorkshire Council’s Scarborough and Whitby area committee hearing on Friday. The public consultation period concludes on 23 December. The count of monitored bathing waters in England deemed poor and unsuitable for swimming has more than doubled, increasing from 18 to 37. Water minister Emma Hardy stated that these figures were “unacceptable” and indicated that “too many” swimming locations were contaminated. She added, “That’s why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water Bill, which will strengthen regulation including new powers to ban the payment of bonuses for polluting water bosses and bring criminal charges against persistent lawbreakers.”