The Water Minister Robbie Moore MP has just announced that the River Tone at French Weir and Long Run Meadow in Taunton will become a designated bathing water site. This comes as another part of the Government’s ongoing Plan for Water and means that the Environment Agency will have to maintain a strict regimen of water testing to make sure the water is safe for outdoor wild swimming and other river sports.

Local MP Rebecca Pow said:

“I know many constituents who love wild swimming, especially in our local rivers. With this in mind, when I was the Water Minister I instigated the Plan for Water, bringing more investment, tougher regulation, and stronger enforcement to clean up our rivers. I also made the point that we would designate more inland bathing water sites.

With your support during the consultation, we have now been able to secure French Weir on the River Tone right next to Long Run Meadow, as a designated Bathing Water site. I’m thrilled with this progress as I know many local people will be too. It’s a perfect bathing water site, with all the facilities nearby, with loos, parking, and the Coach Centre and I was pleased to work with the current Water Minister to push this in Westminster. This means more regular water testing by the Environment Agency, keeping an eye on the water quality and enabling them to act on any issues that may arise in the future should action need taking to ensure the water meets bathing standards.”

Water Minister Robbie Moore MP said:

“The value our bathing waters bring to local communities is incredibly valuable – providing social, physical and positive health and wellbeing benefits to people around the country – and I am pleased to have approved a further 27 new bathing water sites for this year.

These popular swimming spots will now undergo regular monitoring to ensure bathers have up-to-date information on the quality of the water and enable action to be taken if minimum standards aren’t being met.

I am fully committed to seeing the quality of our coastal waters, rivers and lakes rise further for the benefit of the environment and everyone who uses them.”