Several Yorkshire Coast beaches have seen their bathing water quality decline this year leading local politicians to call for more investment in solutions.
The latest data from the Environment Agency now classifies Robin Hood's Bay, Scarborough North Bay and Fraisthorpe as "Sufficient", down from "Good".
Flamborough South Landing has gone from "Excellent" to "Good"
Scarborough South Bay continues to have a "Poor" classification.
Local Councillor - Rich Maw - believes there needs to be further investment to fix the problems.
| Beach Name | 2023 Classification | 2024 Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Runswick Bay | Good | Good |
| Sandsend | Excellent | Excellent |
| Whitby | Excellent | Excellent |
| Robin Hood's Bay | Good | Sufficient |
| Scarborough North Bay | Good | Sufficient |
| Scarborough South Bay | Poor | Poor |
| Cayton Bay | Excellent | Excellent |
| Filey | Good | Good |
| Reighton | Good | Excellent |
| Flamborough South Landing | Excellent | Good |
| Danes Dyke, Flamborough | Excellent | Excellent |
| Bridlington North Beach | Good | Good |
| Bridlington South Beach | Poor | Poor |
| Wilsthorpe | Good | Excellent |
| Fraisthorpe | Good | Sufficient |
| Skipsea | Good | Un-assessed |
| Hornsea | Excellent | Excellent |
| Withernsea | Excellent | Excellent |
Councillor Rich Maw expressed his “disappointment” with the news, particularly regarding Scarborough South Bay, saying that the classification has been a burden on the area for many years.
While acknowledging previous work done to improve the situation, Maw believes those efforts are insufficient. He pointed to the £2.3 million project at Wheatcroft that installed large tanks to capture surface water runoff and reduce sewage spills into bathing waters. He also highlighted the significant investments made by McCain, in improving their processes.
Despite these positive steps, Maw argues that the problem now lies north of Scarborough, where surface water and sewage mix during heavy rainfall and flow into the North Sea. He believes that this contaminated water then circulates around the castle headland and becomes trapped in South Bay, especially during the summer bathing season.
Maw is calling for Yorkshire Water to make substantial investments in investigating the issue in the Scalby area to determine the specific sources of contamination. He is particularly critical of the water company, stating that
"privatisation has failed across many sectors, but especially with water."
Councillor Maw is urging continued pressure on Yorkshire Water, the Environment Agency, and other relevant parties to prioritise infrastructure improvements and separate surface water from sewage. He says he his disappointed with the latest classification for Scarborough South Bay
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