Rebecca Pow MP welcomes plans to designate the River Tone as a new bathing water site

• Government to consult on largest ever rollout of new bathing water sites
• Members of the public are invited to have their say before the consultation closes on 10th March

Taunton Deane MP Rebecca Pow has welcomed the launch of plans to designate the largest ever number of new bathing water sites, as part of the government’s plan to improve water quality across the country.

Subject to a two-week consultation, the Environment Agency will create 27 new designated swimming spots across England. If designated, sites will receive regular water monitoring from the Environment Agency, who will investigate pollution sources and identify steps to be taken in response, which could include actions by water companies, farmers and others.

One of these new 27 sites includes the River Tone in French Weir Park, Taunton, Somerset.

Commenting, Rebecca Pow MP said:

“I am absolutely thrilled that the River Tone in Taunton may be designated as a new bathing water site and I would encourage my constituents to have their say in the consultation which closes on 10th March. As a Government, we are cleaning up our rivers, cracking down on water companies and have introduced a target for no one to live more than a 15 minute walk from a green or blue (water) space. I’ve long championed these issues in Parliament both in my capacity as the local MP but also as Environment Minister and indeed as a former Water Minister who instigated the Plan for Water introduced in April last year. Designating the River Tone as a bathing water site would bring huge benefits to the local community.”

Water Minister Robbie Moore MP said:

“Many people enjoy spending time in our rivers, lakes, and coastal beaches, and I am very aware of the value they bring in terms of social, health and wellbeing benefits. I want to continue to improve the quality of our bathing waters, which is why we are taking action across the board to drive up standards and hold water companies to account. I encourage all local communities and organisations with an interest to take part in this consultation and have their say.”

https://consult.defra.gov.uk/water/consultation-on-designation-of-27-si…

This consultation builds on recent improvements the government has delivered to the water environment, including:

• Announcing a ban on bonuses for water company executives whose firms have committed serious criminal breaches – subject to Ofwat consultation. 
• Quadrupling the Environment Agency’s regulatory capacity – allowing them to carry out 4,000 water company inspections by the end of the next financial year.
• Requiring companies to monitor 100% of storm overflows in England - providing a complete picture of when and where sewage spills happen.   
• Removing the cap on civil penalties for water companies and broadening their scope so swifter action can be taken against those who pollute our waterways.   
• Requiring the largest infrastructure programme in water company history - £60 billion over 25 years – to revamp aging assets and reduce the number of sewage spills by hundreds of thousands every year.  
• Increasing protections for coastal and estuarine waters by expanding the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan, prioritising bathing waters, sites of special scientific interest and shellfish waters.    
• Providing £10 million in support for farmers to store more water on their land through the Water Management Grants to support food production and improve water security.    
• Speeding up the process of building key water supply infrastructure, including more reservoirs and water transfer schemes.