From the Guardian

Campaigners seeking to make a river in Yorkshire the UK’s first to be designated a bathing area have accused environment ministers of blocking their application.

In the spa town of Ilkley, river users and residents submitted a 65-page application to turn part of the River Wharfe in the town into a bathing water area last October.

They monitored the numbers of people using the river to swim and paddle, garnered support from local politicians, their MP, the water company and the Environment Agency.

Read more here.