The third North Yorkshire coast bathing summit will take place today (Monday, 27 October) at Scarborough Town Hall.
The summit brings together the North Yorkshire Bathing Water Partnership – which includes Defra, the Environment Agency, North Yorkshire Council and Yorkshire Water – to share updates on the actions taken to improve bathing water quality along the coast.
While two-thirds of North Yorkshire’s bathing water sites are rated as 'Good' or 'Excellent', the Environment Agency’s current classification of Scarborough South Bay’s bathing water quality is ‘poor’ and signs at the beach advise against bathing. In the most recent ratings Scarborough North Bay dropped from “good” to “sufficient”.
Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire Council, said:
"The quality of bathing water along the North Yorkshire coast is hugely important, and we are tackling it head-on by working closely with our partners and supporting a range of initiatives ourselves.
"This summit is an opportunity to review recent progress and reaffirm our commitment to holding those responsible to account, ensuring this vital issue is addressed for the benefit of our businesses, residents and visitors alike."
The partnership will hear from Professor Darren Gröcke, Director of the Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry Laboratory at Durham University, who is leading a testing programme on behalf of the council.
Over the past 18 months, Professor Gröcke has collected thousands of seaweed samples between Hayburn Wyke and Filey. Using nitrogen isotope analysis, his research aims to pinpoint the sources and types of pollution affecting the quality of the bathing water.
The Environment Agency will also provide an update on its own investigations into the causes of poor bathing water in Scarborough’s South and North Bays.
The combination of the Durham University and Environment Agency studies represent the most in-depth analysis carried out to date and provide crucial evidence about the issues affecting North Yorkshire’s coastal bathing water quality.
Significant investment has already been made to improve water quality. Yorkshire Water has completed a £2.8 million project at Wheatcroft, reducing sewer overflow discharges to a maximum of two per bathing season. McCain Foods has also invested £23 million to upgrade its wastewater treatment facility at its Scarborough factory.
North Yorkshire Council’s chief executive, Richard Flinton, said:
"The North Yorkshire coast is of huge importance. It’s where people live, work and visit, and it plays a huge role in our local economy and quality of life.
"We know how important clean, safe bathing water is for our communities, and we share their desire to see lasting improvements.
"This summit is a chance to hear what’s been done so far, clearly set out the issues evidenced by the two recent studies and make sure that, together, we deliver the action needed to protect this precious asset for generations to come."
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