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BBC News
04-08-2025
- General
- BBC News
Momentum builds to bring back Scarborough outdoor tidal swimming pool
A campaign to reinstate an outdoor tidal swimming pool in Scarborough is growing with one of its campaigners saying its absence was "like fish without chips".Earlier this year, North Yorkshire Council backed plans to build a three-sided seawater pool at the top of South development now rests with Scarborough Sea Swimming Community Interest Company (CIC) - a group formed by sea swimmers and residents keen to open what it hoped would be a community Chiverall, one of the organisers, said the ambition was to help "everyone to enjoy the benefits of sea swimming – and safely." "I think a sea swimming pool would make a difference," she said. "It would help us when the tide is really rough so it would extend the season."We won't be at risk of any riptides or general rough sea conditions and we'd be able to swim all year round and that's the biggest benefit." 'Popular pastime' Ms Chiverall said the initial idea came out of conversations with other sea swimmers who were keen for Scarborough to have a tidal pool town's previous facility, also located at South Bay, opened in 1915 and was hugely popular but closed in 1989 after running into financial difficulties. A second salt water pool opened in North Bay more than two decades later but that also closed in contacting local councillors, Ms Chiverall and others set up a community engagement session last March to see if the appetite for a pool extended beyond initial interest. Councillor Rich Maw was one of the executive members involved in the early stages of the campaign and said sea swimming in Scarborough was "already hugely popular and growing". He said: "This isn't just about building a pool - it's about opening up access, boosting tourism and improving local quality of life."He added that with strong community backing and expert input it was his belief the project "can and should happen".The council commissioned a feasibility study which pinpointed the proposed site at Children's Corner, at the top of South plan also included a sheltered beach, changing area and bathing area for Chiverall said: "We envisage it will be free to use for anybody who wants to sea swim, whether you've done it before or just want to dip your toe in the water for the first time."She said there were many benefits to sea swimming and added: "Lots of the sea swimmers that I know and swim with, swim as friendship groups."Generally everyone I know who swims in the sea is very happy, relaxed and has a very healthy outlook on life." Five year dream Scarborough Sea Swimming CIC is now looking ahead at the next stages of development describing the support received so far as "phenomenal". It was recently awarded council funding to help run further community engagement Ms Chiverall said the group was realistic about the timescales of the project acknowledging that funding - through public donations and grants from local authorities and other organisations - would be challenging. "It might not happen for ten years or so, we know that. Although five years would be the dream," she added."We just think Scarborough without a sea pool is like fish without chips". Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
22-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Perranporth swimmers suggest brown flags to signal polluted water
Sea swimmers have suggested brown flags could be used on beaches to indicate pollution in the of the Bluetits sea swimming group said the flags would be especially useful to tourists who may not know how to check the water quality at beaches they Shephard, who regularly swims at Perranporth in Cornwall said: "We get red flags if you can't see because of the sea conditions and I think we need brown flags for pollution."The Environment Agency has awarded Perranporth an 'excellent' grading for bathing water quality for the past four years, as a result of its regular testing system. Fellow Bluetit swimmer Zoe Woodward said in France there was a system where purple flags were used to show poor water quality and she thought it was a "brilliant idea".She said: "For people who are on holiday here and aren't aware to check the apps, to see that visual on the beach I think it'd be a good idea to make people think."In 2024 South West Water (SWW) recorded 56,000 sewage spills into the sea and rivers in the region.A spokesperson for SWW said: "Our storm overflow at Perranporth has not been active in 2025. "There are many other factors that can impact bathing water quality."These factors include agricultural run-off from fields. Another regular sea swimmer Martha Marshall-Clack said she frequently received pollution alerts for Perranporth on her said: "If there's an alert then we're not going in because it's too risky."I know a lot of people will say 'just keep your mouth shut and keep your head out of the water' but you want to be safe."We really enjoy going in the water... hearing the pinging of the alerts that you can't do that, it's just terrible in this day and age - it's just not acceptable." 'Clear, reliable advice' A spokesperson for the Environment Agency (EA) said its bathing water classifications were in place "to give clear, reliable advice to bathers".Thee classifications give a long-term assessment of water quality over a four-year period and as bathing water quality could change daily, shorter-term assessments alone would not provide an accurate overall picture, they said when daily fluctuations in water quality occurred from weather or tide, the EA issued pollution risk forecasts at sites where it was possible to do so. In addition to the annual classification, results of tests throughout the bathing season were available for more than 400 bathing waters on the Swimfo webpage, the EA added. Sarah Walsh runs a sea swimming business and said she was often affected by poor water said: "If there's been an alert I cannot take people swimming in case anyone gets poorly and people might have an underlying health condition."Ms Shephard said water pollution "has gone on for far, far too long".She said: "I just really would like to go into the water without not just checking the tides and the sea conditions, but checking whether there's been an alert for sewage."If I bring my dog to the beach and I don't pick up after them I can be fined £1,000 and be held personally accountable for that - but you can discharge sewage into the sea and that's too difficult to deal with?"On Sunday the environment secretary Steve Reed pledged the number of times sewage is discharged by water companies will be halved by 2030.
