21 Nov 2024
Defra has outlined £50 million investment for internal drainage boards and set out plans to consult on a new strategic vision for floods investment. Recognising the significant impact of flooding on farmers, the government says an additional £50 million will be distributed to internal drainage boards (IDBs), the public bodies responsible for managing water levels […]
14 Nov 2024
Defra has launched a consultation on proposed reforms and technical amendments to the Bathing Water Regulations 2013. Photo credit: Jens Meyers The proposals include removal of automatic de-designation after 5 years of ‘poor’ water quality changes to the designation criteria of bathing sites removing the fixed dates of the bathing season from regulations […]
09 Oct 2024
QR signage at both beaches will prompt a text conversation with the Hello Lamp Post artificial intelligence platform. The beach will share the latest news from Environment Agency monitoring about bathing water quality. But the agency hopes this will be more than a one-way conversation, with beach lovers sharing their own information about the site. […]
14 May 2024
Defra has announced that a total of 27 new wild swimming spots in England are being designated as bathing waters ahead of the summer and will immediately benefit from regular water quality monitoring. Following a public consultation, the new bathing water sites will be designated ahead of the 2024 bathing water season, which runs between […]
14 May 2024
A record number of swimming spots in England have been designated as bathing sites, the UK government has confirmed. There has been widespread coverage, including in BBC, ITV, The Guardian, Independent and Sky, of the government’s announcement that 27 new bathing water sites will be designated across England. The decision follows a public consultation last year. The Environment Agency […]
05 Jul 2023
The government has updated its guidance for applying for bathing water designation in England. The guidance on applying to de-designate existing bathing waters has also been updated. The updates mean that the application process is now easier to follow and ensures the criteria for designation are clearly set out. Defra will use the updated guidance to […]
18 Jan 2023
Environment Agency chief executive Sir James Bevan has called an article in The Times, headlined Beach sewage inspections to be scaled back, “factually inaccurate and misleading”. He was responding to a request for information from the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee, on the article’s claims that the Environment Agency has taken a decision […]
05 Jan 2023
At nearly four miles long, Loch Leven is the largest natural body of water in the UK, and has long attracted wild swimmers, with everyone from triathletes-in-training to the more casual paddlers heading to Kinross for a dip. Now the Scottish Greens are calling for the loch to become Scotland’s first protected wild swimming hotspot. They […]
