Beaches may hit quality problem

Scarborough Council aims to form a new partnership with Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency in response to Europe's revised Bathing Water Directive limiting Blue Flags to only the most pristine beaches.

The new system is being introduced between March next year and the end of the summer of 2015 when the Environment Agency will publish the first classifications of all bathing waters under the new guidelines. Since 1976, bathing spots were tested for a variety of bacteria, including sewage-related bugs but a blip or two of bad results in the summer meant the beach could be failed for the whole season, or scrape a borderline pass.

Now beaches will be banded as Poor, Sufficient, Good, or Excellent based on three years of testing plus other factors, such as water colour.

The number of impurities the water will be tested for will be reduced because science now regards many as irrelevant to public health. It means beaches which previously scraped a pass will now be given the more reserved rating of "Sufficient". But what worries tourism bosses is fewer beaches will be able to apply for Blue Flags.

Scarborough's Head of Technical Services John Riby said: "Only bathing waters classified as Excellent will enable local authorities to apply for a coveted European Blue Flag, a recognised quality marque that has major tourism benefits for local communities.

"Water quality is influenced by a number of factors and agencies and is only one of the criteria that will be monitored against under the revised Bathing Water Directive.

"A multi-agency approach will therefore be needed to guarantee that Yorkshire's beaches and bathing waters have the best chance of achieving Blue Flags."

Scarborough Council is looking to Yorkshire Water for the financial investment for the Yorkshire Coast to reduce bathing water pollution.

Given the importance to the borough, the town hall says it is vital officers collaborate fully with the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water to ensure beaches make the grade.

The number of beaches flying the Blue Flag varies from year to year, since the annual judgements take 29 factors into account, including safety, management, cleanliness and signs.

A report, based on the 2006-2009 bathing season's results, warns that only four out of 10 of the borough's tourism beaches would achieve the water quality standard to even be considered under the new directive.

The predictions are that both Staithes and Robin Hood's Bay would be rated as Poor under the new regime. Runswick Bay, and Scarborough's busy South Bay would both reach only the Sufficient mark.

Sandsend and Filey would be judged Good, but not good enough for a Blue Flag. The only beaches rated Excellent would be Whitby, Scarborough North Bay, Cayton Bay, and Reighton.

On the bright side, provided the Yorkshire Water investment, targeted at helping more beaches achieve the Excellent standard, was forthcoming it could mean more of the existing bathing water beaches got Blue Flags.

But much more would be needed for Staithes and Robin Hood's Bay to even reach Sufficient standard, Mr Riby added.

An EU spokesman said: "The Blue Flag is not a label awarded by the EU.

"The only link between the EU's bathing water policy and the Blue Flag is that the EU criteria are used as the basis for the Blue Flag's water quality criteria. However, the Blue Flag programme uses additional criteria beyond water quality for awarding the blue flag to specific beaches."