Beach boost

Nevertheless, some concerns persist. The five- year initiative will, in the main, help the large coastal resorts of Bridlington, Scarborough and Filey and to a lesser extent Hornsea and Withernsea.

However, the smaller seaside communities – Staithes, Robin Hood's Bay, Whitby and Sandsend – are described as assets that are "not believed to impact on bathing water quality".

This is potentially a damaging sweeping conclusion, and no one would want to see money pumped in to the larger resorts if it is to the detriment of equally cherished coastal communities.

It is clear that in the current economic climate there is little money for anyone and that makes it more important than ever to make sure that what is available is distributed fairly. Thankfully, Yorkshire Water is carrying out extra research on the importance of these smaller towns

and villages.

The second concern is the financial impact on the wider region. Yorkshire Water has a duty to provide value for money to all ratepayers, not just those living close to the coast.

Delivering and then maintaining improvements along a 50-mile stretch

of coastline will not be cheap, and will be of little benefit, for example, to residents in Bradford or Barnsley.

While funding may have been secured for the initial improvements, considerable year-on-year investment will be needed to maintain standards along the East Coast in its entirety while striking a balance between the need for investment and fair bills.