Former Conservative MP Sir Robert Goodwill has responded to criticism over his appointment as chairman of the Yorkshire Bathing Water Partnership – insisting he will hold Yorkshire Water to account.

The former Scarborough MP was appointed last week to help steer the partnership, initially targeting bathing waters with a ‘poor’ classification.

Water quality is improving following multi-million pound investment by both Yorkshire Water and McCain, which has a chip factory in the town. However last year’s ratings saw South Bay still classed as ‘poor’ and North Bay as ‘sufficient’.

Independent Scarborough councillor Rich Maw claims the appointment undermines public trust.

placeholder image — Former MP Sir Robert Goodwill.

Coun Maw pointed to Sir Robert voting against a Lords amendment in 2021 to make companies separate foul from surface water before it reaches rivers and seas by the storm overflow mechanism.

He said: “People don’t trust him with our water. Mention his name to surfers and swimmers and they boo spontaneously.

“No one is going to trust anything that comes out of the committee.

“It’s a missed opportunity.”

Meanwhile Steve Crawford, of Surfers Against Sewage, who had to close his surf shop after people were advised not to swim in South Bay, said he would find it hard to trust the credibility of the partnership with Sir Robert as chair.

He said: “Everyone I’ve spoken to are absolutely dumbstruck by the choice of him as chair.”

Yorkshire Water is initially funding the role on behalf of the partnership. Sir Robert will be paid up to £10,000 per year.

The Sons of Neptune, which was established in 1983 to campaign for improvements, said they strongly object as Sir Robert “has given no support in the past”.

Founder Freddie Drabble said: “As a group we’ve been working with Yorkshire Water for the last 15 years. We are volunteers. We’ve done it for the love of it.

"We’ve not taken a penny. In fact we’ve part funded some of the research.”

However Sir Robert, a former chairman of the environment select committee, who stood down in as an MP in 2024, said he'd made it clear to Yorkshire Water: “I’m not going to be there to sing from their hymn sheet.

“I’m not going to be a patsy.”

Talking about the vote in 2021, Sir Robert said it had been political grandstanding, which would have forced firms to “turn off the valve” in a cloudburst, leaving sewage bubbling up into streets and toilets.

He said: “It’s pretty obvious they (his critics) haven’t read through any of the transcripts of the select committee. We gave them a really hard time.

“To try and make out I will be soft on water companies is not borne out by any of my time as chair of the Efra committee.”

He said research had shown the problems with water quality in Scarborough were much more complex due to pollution coming into the sea via Scalby Beck, from moorland which it drains, from wildlife and properties Yorkshire Water had no control over.

He added: “Some of it could be Yorkshire Water infrastructure which we could improve.”

One of his first jobs will be to appoint an independent stakeholder representative, who will bring together local groups to ensure they are involved, and “improve transparency around the process, the complexities and the challenges we’re facing now and into the future”.

“We want someone who will engage positively, not snipe from the sidelines,” Sir Robert said.

Three rivers with designated bathing water status – Ilkley Beach and the Wilderness site on the Wharfe, and Knaresborough Lido, on the Nidd – have all been rated as poor quality every year.