Agenda item

To provide a basis for the Committee to consider the delivery of the Council’s Statutory and other duties in respect of bathing water management. 

The Committee was presented with a report that detailed the performance in respect of the Council’s statutory and other responsibilities in relation to Bathing Water Management.

Mrs Nolan Barnes explained the background to the recent legislative changes in the Revised Bathing Water Directive, which set out the statutory duties in respect of Blackpool’s four bathing waters that were noted as being Blackpool South, Blackpool Central, Blackpool North and Bispham.

Members were advised that in 2011, it was predicted that once the Revised Bathing Water Directive came into force in 2015, seven of the eight bathing waters along the Fylde Peninsula would be rated as ‘poor’, which would have resulted in having to erect signage that advised against bathing. However, as a result of the work and actions undertaken to improve the quality of bathing waters, seven out of the eight bathing waters along the Fylde coast had passed the quality standards at the end of the 2015 bathing season. It was reported that in respect of Blackpool’s four bathing waters Blackpool South had been rated as excellent, Blackpool North had been rated as good and Blackpool Central and Bispham were sufficient. As a result, Mrs Nolan Barnes advised that for the first time in Blackpool’s history, an application had been made for the prestigious Blue Flag award for Blackpool South and seaside awards for Blackpool Central, North and Bispham.

The Committee raised questions regarding the discounting of sampling for testing purposes. In response, Mrs Nolan Barnes advised that short term pollution signage could be provided at bathing waters at times when rainfall was expected to be heavy. The advantage was that the public received additional advice about bathing water quality and the results could subsequently be discounted for the period that the short term pollution advice was provided. However, Mrs Nolan Barnes advised that the 2015 results did not take into account any discounted data from short term pollution events.

The Committee was advised that the ability to challenge the results by applying step change as a result of the United Utilities investment had impacted positively on the overall results. Mrs Nolan Barnes explained further that the testing period was over a four year period and since the start of that period, United Utilities had undertaken extensive work to improve the quality of bathing water, which had subsequently been reflected in the 2015 results.

The Committee discussed the sampling of bathing water and raised questions regarding the sources of bathing water pollution. Mr Blackledge advised that it was difficult to accurately apportion source pollution statistics, unless a DNA profiling of the samples was undertaken by the Environment Agency. It was explained that such a profiling had been conducted in 2012, so it was possible to draw some assumptions regarding source pollution, but more up to date profiling would be welcomed to indicate where further improvements could be made.

The Committee agreed to request a report detailing performance against the Action Plan and the bathing water quality results be presented to the Committee on an annual basis.

Background papers: None