Legal Challenge to Protect Our Bathing Beaches Given Green Light

The High Court has granted permission for a judicial review to go ahead!  Back in January, Surfers Against Sewage, (SAS) supported by River Lim Action (RLA) in Lyme Regis and other communities launched a legal challenge against DEFRA and the Welsh Government over changes to the Bathing Water Regulations.    The proposed regulations would rule that any beach or water body with ‘poor’ water quality would be barred from any application for bathing water status because it wouldn’t be “feasible” to improve it.

That’s a huge problem.  Without bathing water status, there’s no official monitoring, no route to investigate pollution and no pressure for improvements – even though people will keep swimming and surfing and paddling.   The proposed changes mean that rivers, lakes and beaches could be deemed ‘too polluted to protect’ before they can even be designated as official bathing waters.   That will make the clean up much less likely to happen and even discourage it.

RLA applauds the High Court’s decision granting permission for the judicial review of proposed changes to go ahead.   In 2024 Church Beach in Lyme Regis was successfully re-designated as a bathing beach after a concerted effort by RLA and others.  RLA’s experience is now being used by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) as part of this legal challenge.

Vicki Elcoate, River Lim Action coordinator, said: “We are so pleased that our challenge can go ahead and hopefully win the day for our beaches.  There’s a real public health risk in the Government’s proposed changes. People will swim anyway and stopping popular beaches from being designated means no monitoring, information or clean up.”

“When we applied for designation we anticipated the water quality would be classified as ‘poor’ and therefore, the goal was to secure investment and commitment to clean up the sources of pollution (mainly human sewage). That’s already led to concerted efforts and visible results”.

Church Beach was one of fourteen supported by SAS in 2024 to achieve bathing water status. Since it was re-designated, helpful signage is now in place outlining pollution risks and an action plan drawn up on how water quality will be improved. South West Water’s Turning the Tide programme will reduce sewage discharges as part of delivering the necessary improvements.

SAS proclaims,  “This decision means we will get our day in court.  It’s been a long wait to get to this point, but the fight isn’t over yet.”

ENDS