Consultation outcome

Summary of responses and government response

Updated 12 April 2022

Executive summary

Defra held a consultation on a proposal to designate East Cowes Esplanade on the Isle of Wight as a bathing water under the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/1675) (the ‘Regulations). The consultation ran from 9 February 2022 to 2 March 2022.

The objective of designating a beach or inland bathing area as a bathing water is to protect bathers’ health against faecal pollution. Water quality is monitored by the Environment Agency (EA) during the bathing season, which in England runs from 15 May to 30 September, and bathing waters are classified annually as excellent, good, sufficient or poor. If water quality does not meet the legally required standards, the EA will investigate the sources of pollution and recommend remedial measures to make improvements.

The consultation asked respondents whether they supported the proposal to designate East Cowes Esplanade on the Isle of Wight as a bathing water and invited them to provide evidence if they wished to do so.

This was a national consultation, following a local consultation that was held by East Cowes Town Council and Community Volunteers as part of the evidence gathering process for the application. This document summarises the responses to the national consultation.

Number of responses

In total 132 responses to the consultation were received.

112 private individuals and 22 individuals affiliated with 16 different organisations responded to the consultation. Two organisations, Isle of Wight Council and East Cowes Town Council, submitted several responses. All respondents from these 2 organisations have been included in the total number. Organisations were predominantly local government, environmental non-governmental organisations, conservation organisations and national bodies. A list of organisations who submitted a response is included in Annex A. The key arguments raised in organisational responses are included alongside individual responses.

Responses

The consultation asked respondents “What is your view on the proposal to designate East Cowes Esplanade as a Bathing Water?” Respondents were invited to provide evidence to support their answer if they wished to do so.

Of the 132 responses received, 131 supported the proposed designation of East Cowes Esplanade as a bathing water and 1 was opposed.

All responses provided additional detail to support their answer.

There was a widespread view among respondents that the East Cowes Esplanade is an asset to the town, with many commenting on its popularity for swimming and paddling with local residents and visitors to the area. Around 85 respondents commented that they or their family have swum here, or they are aware of other people swimming here.

Seven respondents commented that the Shrape Swimmers swim at the site on a daily basis.

Concern was raised about pollution at the site by 13 respondents who commented on sewage discharges and their potential impact on bathers’ health and the environment. Some respondents in support of designation commented that designation would reduce the risks of pollution at the site.

Many responses that supported designation included comments about the possible positive effect of increasing visitor numbers to East Cowes and stated that designation would be good for the environment. There was a consensus amongst responses that East Cowes would benefit from increased visitor numbers, as currently it does not have as many visitors as nearby towns.

One respondent, although in favour of designation, was concerned about the amount of car parking availability there would be at the site if it were to be designated. However, as detailed in the application, there is already a car park at the site, as well as on road parking.

Some respondents stated that the consultation was not simply a local issue, but part of a wider interest in improving water quality at all of England’s rivers and seas, both for the benefit of the environment and so that more people can enjoy the health and recreational benefits of open water swimming. For example, Surfers Against Sewage referred to the increase in the popularity of sports such as stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking, although recreational users such as water sports participants are not included in the survey numbers as the Regulations focus on bathers and the monitoring may not be directly relevant to them as they tend to use a wider area in the water than bathers.

The National Farmers Union were the only respondents to oppose designation on behalf of its members. They stated that due to the small consultation window they have been unable to consult the necessary stakeholders including their members, therefore cannot support the designation. In addition, they emphasised the importance of using evidence on the sources of faecal indicator organism pollution at the site. However, they did recognise that if East Cowes Esplanade is designated as a bathing water, and evidence is found to show local farms are contributing significantly to bacteria levels in the water, it is right that those farms should work to reduce their contribution in proportion to other sources.

Government response

East Cowes Esplanade will be added to the list of designated bathing waters and monitored with effect from the 2022 bathing season.

The EA will prepare a bathing water profile and identify a sampling point based on where the greatest number of bathers go into the water. Monitoring will commence in May 2022.

During the bathing season, the Isle of Wight Council will be responsible for providing public information about water quality and potential pollution sources at the bathing water and for taking management measures, usually in the form of providing warning signage as advised by the EA, during pollution incidents. Defra will provide funding towards the cost of information signage. The Regulations do not impose any further requirements on local authorities for the management of bathing waters.

Annex A – List of responding organisations

This list of responding organisations is not exhaustive. Rather, it is based on those that declared their organisation. This may include responses from individuals who are members of specific organisations and therefore does not necessarily reflect that organisation’s views. This list also does not include those that asked their response to be kept confidential or those that did not include the name of the organisation.

Community Spirited
East Cowes Esplanade and Landslip Community Project
East Cowes Town Council
Fight Against Environmental Contamination of Estuaries and Seafronts
Friends of East Cowes
Isle of Wight Council
National Farmers Union
Open Water Swimmers
S.A.G.E. (Suffolk)
Solent Forum
Space5
Surfers Against Sewage
Swim England
Waverley Park