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River Nidd at Knaresborough granted bathing water status

The River Nidd has been granted bathing water status at Knaresborough Lido.

Environment minister Robbie Moore is expected to announce the news this morning.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs received 27 applications for bathing water status this year.

Decisions were expected in spring and well placed sources have told us that the application for the Nidd, which was submitted by Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, is among those approved.

It means the Environment Agency will be obliged to undertake measures to improve water quality at the Lido, which will impact the rest of the river.

Andrew Jones (right) and Environment Secretary Steve Barclay discussing the bid.

As part of the Defra submission, Mr Jones’ office ran surveys last summer on the number of bathers using the Lido, which revealed the venue attracted 276 bathers a day on average during summer.

Water sampling work was carried out along the river by Nidd Action Group, which was formed by fly-fishermen concerned about water quality and now also includes academics, charities and volunteers.

Volunteers involved in water sampling.

Achieving bathing water status will mean that during the bathing water season from May to September, the Environment Agency will test the Lido for pollutants and designate it either ‘excellent’, ‘good’, ‘sufficient’ or ‘poor’.

If it is not rated highly, the government agency will create a plan to tackle the sources of pollution.

Only two rivers, including the Wharfe at Ilkley, currently have bathing water status and the water quality of both is currently rated ‘poor’ so there are concerns about how effective designation is.

The state of the Nidd came under sharp focus last year.

Nidd Action Group sampling revealed high levels of the faecal bacteria E.coli.

Last year Knaresborough Bed Race competitors were advised to keep their heads above water to avoid the risk of swallowing water containing sewage.

No 9: River Nidd pollution and politics take centre stage

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2023, we look at how the River Nidd rose up the political agenda this year.

National concerns about rivers were magnified locally in a year of intense focus on the River Nidd.

The state of the Nidd has become a major issue in recent years amid reports of bathers falling ill with sickness and diarrhoea and wider pollution concerns.

It led anglers, academics, conservationists and members of the public to set up Nidd Action Group to campaign for long-term improvements on the river, which is a tributary of the River Ouse that flows through Pateley Bridge, Birstwith and Knaresborough before meeting the Ouse at Nun Monkton..

The group bookended 2023 with two public meetings in Knaresborough. In between there was unprecedented activity that included water sampling and a campaign to achieve bathing water status.

The need to act was starkly highlighted in May when Professor Peter Hammond, a mathematician who analyses data on sewage discharges, published research showing the equivalent of 317 Olympic pools of raw sewage was discharged into the River Nidd at four sewage treatment works at Pateley Bridge, Harrogate, Darley and Kirk Hammerton in 2020.

The following month Knaresborough Lions, which organises the town’s joyfully insane annual bed race, issued a warning urging participants to “keep your head above water”.

Bed race competitors were told to keep their heads above water.

During summer, scores of volunteers monitored usage of the Nidd at Knaresborough Lido as part of the bathing water campaign led by Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Water quality has become a highly charged and politicised issue and not everyone welcomed Mr Jones’ campaign.

Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, made rivers one of his main campaigning issues in 2023. He said local waterways were “being pumped full of raw disgusting sewage” under the Tories’ watch and accused water firms of awarding bosses “insulting pay-outs” after it was revealed Yorkshire Water paid £2.09 million to four executives in the year ending March 2023.

Mr Jones said he was taking a pragmatic approach to tackling an important local issue that is as much about farming and ancient sewers as government policies.

He even called for a parliamentary debate on the subject in January, when he told MPs:

“Rainwater run-off from farmland, which can include animal waste and pesticides, is a big factor affecting the quality of our waterways. It is a complex issue, and local farmers produce some of the highest quality food in our country, so can we have a debate to explore how the government can support farmers in mitigating this issue?”

Mr Jones’ bathing water campaign focused on Knaresborough, where leisure use of the Nidd is at its highest. There is an large wild swimming group, Lido bathers and boating on Waterside, as well as angling and riverside holiday homes.

If the bid, which the government is expected to adjudicate on in spring, is approved then agencies will be required to take measures to clean the Lido that should impact a much wider stretch of the river.

Andrew Jones (left) with the owner of Knaresborough Lido.

Besides the bathing water bid, action group volunteers organised two rounds of water sampling along the entire length of the Nidd in August and October to establish scientific data on water quality.

The results confirmed high levels of the faecal bacteria E.coli. in much of the river. Tributaries in the middle and lower Nidd catchment, including Ripley Beck, Oak Beck and Crimple Beck, had the highest concentrations of E.coli, with Bilton Beck the worst.

Nidd Action Group volunteers learning to take water samples.

Photo of volunteers from Nidd Action Group sampling water quality in Oak Beck.

Sampling at Bilton

The results were discussed at the action group’s December meeting, at which some of the early fervour to tackle pollution had given way to a more hard-headed and strategic long-term approach.

The presence of Yorkshire Water at the meeting may have surprised some, but many felt the company was an integral part of whatever plans are drawn up.

Professor Jonathan Gray of the Wild Trout Trust told the meeting the creation of channels that took the river off its natural flood plain “with hindsight was not a good idea” and spoke about the need to reverse this.

Nidd Action Group’s meeting in March.

David Clayden said there had been some initial “naivety” about what could be achieved and both he and James McKay, a Knaresborough resident and academic who has been at the forefront of analysing the water samples, agreed a lot has been achieved in 2023 — but it will take time for this to filter down to actual measures that improve water quality.

Megan Godden, the wild swimming representative on the action group, said people entering the Nidd should avoid swallowing water at all costs and consider avoiding it for a couple of days after heavy rainfall when e.coli levels are at their highest. But she was optimistic action could eventually make a difference.

Maddy Wright, a PHD student at Leeds University, said

“E.coli is the most problematic factor and exists in levels that could pose significant risks”, adding she hoped bathing water status would lead to data about the state of the river being published so “people can see and they will know the risks before they go bathing”.

The clean-up campaign was boosted in November when Yorkshire Water agreed to pay £1 million for polluting Hookstone Beck in Harrogate in 2016.

Half of the sum was awarded to the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust, which will use what is now known as the iNidd project to clean-up the River Nidd. The name is similar to the iWharfe campaign on the River Wharfe.

Charlotte Simons, a senior project manager at the trust, said:

“The sad thing is we have the money because something went wrong. But we have been given a lump sum that can lead to long-term improvements on the River Nidd.”

River quality is a murky business.

Public meeting to be held about state of River Nidd

A public meeting is to be held in Knaresborough next month to discuss the campaign to improve water quality in the River Nidd.

The drop-in meeting will follow a similar format to the one held in March, which marked the start of the campaign.

Groups involved will give short presentations and talk to people on a one-to-one basis.

Topics will include the results of recent water sampling on the Nidd, which revealed high levels of faecal bacteria, the bid for bathing water status and Yorkshire Water’s business plan for 2025 to 2030.

Nidd Action Group, which includes Knaresborough town councillors, environmental campaigners, anglers, councillors and community groups, will again stage the event at the Centre-on-Gracious Street.

The meeting, titled ‘What do we know about the River Nidd and its tributaries – and what do we need to do?’ will take place on December 5 from 3pm to 6.30pm.

Stands and displays will enable visitors to familiarise themselves with the campaign, which was prompted by concerns about water quality and bathers at Knaresborough Lido suffering sickness and diarrhoea,

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, submitted the bid for bathing water status to rivers minister Rebecca Pow last week.

If successful, government agencies would be obliged to take action to improve water quality at the lido. This would also improve water quality on a much longer stretch of the river.

The bid has been backed by 33 organisations and businesses, including Knaresborough Town Council, North Yorkshire Council, Yorkshire Agricultural Society and Bilton Conservation Group.

A decision is expected by the end of April next year.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP submits River Nidd bathing water status bid

A bid to designate the River Nidd at Knaresborough bathing water status has been submitted to ministers.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, Andrew Jones, handed the proposal to Rebecca Pow, minister for rivers.

If designation is successful, government agencies would be obliged to take action to improve water quality at Knaresborough Lido. This would also improve water quality on a much wider stretch of the river.

The campaign to designate part of the Nidd with bathing water status comes after reports of numerous bathers falling ill last summer.

The bid has been backed by 33 organisations and businesses, such as Knaresborough Town Council, North Yorkshire Council, Yorkshire Agricultural Society and Bilton Conservation Group.

Mr Jones also worked with the Nidd Action Group, which carried out regular water testing on the River Nidd.

He said:

“This is an impressive array of local support.

“From riverside businesses to farmers, from councils to water users, from environmental groups to nearby residents the campaign has seen an unprecedented level of backing.

“All those people and organisations speaking with one voice is an incredibly powerful endorsement of the bid and I made that point to the minister when I handed her the bid.”

Ministers and officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will now consider the bid and a result is expected by April 30, 2024.

River Nidd bathing water bid to be sent next month

An application for the River Nidd in Knaresborough to be designated bathing water status is to be submitted to the government next month.

If successful, the move would oblige organisations such as the Environment Agency to take action to clean the Nidd, amid concerns about high sewage levels and bathers falling ill at Knaresborough Lido.

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones will submit the application after overseeing a survey of how many people use the Lido during the bathing water season from May 15 to September 30.

Mr Jones said the deadline for sending the application to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was the end of October. He added:

“Once submitted, there begins a long process in which Defra consult with many key stakeholders including Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency.

“Whilst we can’t be sure when the result will be known, applications that were submitted last year found out around March of this year.”

He said further surveys at the Lido were unlikely due to the colder weather, adding:

“The numbers we received from the surveys were excellent, and were nicely capped with that final burst of good weather a couple of weeks ago which saw hundreds of people swimming in the River Nidd at the Lido.”

The surveying was hampered a change in guidance in early July, but Mr Jones said “we have a committed team of volunteers which enabled us to adjust our plan quickly and fulfil the new criteria”.

Water sampling continues

Last month’s sampling in Bilton.

Nidd Action Group, which consists of anglers, academics, conservationists and volunteers has undertaken water sampling along the Nidd as part of the clean-up campaign.

The first round of sampling took place last month and a second round is required.

David Clayden, chairman of the group, said:

“We have identified four possible dates, but they are dependent on getting four days with no rain prior to the sampling day – so the first two, September 25 or 27, are no good.

“We are now aiming for either October 4 or 5 – again dependent on prior weather forecasts.”

Knaresborough Lib Dems send message to MP

Knaresborough Town Council gave its backing to the bathing water application this week — but the Liberal Democrat-controlled council added clauses urging the government to do more to protect rivers.

Cllr Kathryn Davies, a Conservative elected in Aspin and Calcutt who took part in the Lido survey, proposed a motion calling for the council to support the application.

It said the Nidd at the Lido was an important resource for the people of Knaresborough and improving water quality “would have significant benefits for the environment, public health, recreation and the local economy”.

But David Goode, a Liberal Democrat who represents Castle ward, said the motion “looked like a concerted effort by the Tory party to deflect attention” from allowing water companies to dump sewage in the river.

He proposed additional clauses, which included writing to Mr Jones requesting he “votes against any legislation that weakens planning and environmental policy” and “supports the call for water companies to be turned into public benefit companies with the aim of reducing leaks and sewage dumping, as well as limiting returns to shareholders”.

Volunteers begin testing River Nidd water quality

Volunteers lined the banks of the River Nidd and its tributaries this week to test water quality as part of a major clean-up campaign.

Nidd Action Group coordinated the activity as part of a bid to achieve bathing water status, which would require organisations to take measures to improve water quality.

It follows concerns about the state of the river and reports of bathers falling ill at Knaresborough Lido.

Nidd Action Group includes conservationists, anglers, academics and residents. Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones is also supporting the initiative by gathering data on the number of people using the river at the Lido.

On Thursday afternoon, 40 volunteers dipped test kits into the Nidd at various points from the upper reaches at Scar House, north of Pateley Bridge, right down to Moor Monkton, close to where the Nidd joins the River Ouse.

Volunteers learning to take samples last month.

A second round of sampling will take place late next month before a bid for bathing water status is submitted to the government.

David Clayden, chairman of Nidd Action Group, said this week’s sampling appeared to go well.

He added:

“The weather was kind to us, unlike the previous very wet day. The river was running quite high, but I’ve had no reports of any incidents.

“All the samples in their sterilised bottles have been assembled, along with the documentation and the data collected at the river.

“Samples are being analysed in the accredited laboratory in Lichfield, and further samples will be sent to another laboratory on Monday for less urgent analysis.

A second round of sampling will take place late next month in the same locations but in different weather and river conditions.

Bilton Conservation Group volunteers sampling at Oak Beck on Thursday.

Shirley Hare and Warren Considine with a sample from Oak Beck.

Mr Clayden said the results would then be shared and “we will identify any inferences that can be drawn, and discuss any actions, beneficial to the river, that might be taken”.

Sampling took place ar Scar House Reservoir, Lofthouse, How Stean Gorge, Low Sikes, Ramsgill, Wath, Pateley Bridge, Glasshouses, Summerbridge, Birstwith, Crag Hill Farm, Ripley Beck, Killinghall, along Oak beck in Bilton, Nidd Viaduct, Knaresborough, Crimple Beck, Little Ribston, Hunsingore and Moor Monkton

Mr Clayden commended the volunteers for their commitment and thanked Yorkshire Dales River Trust, a charity based in Pateley Bridge. for assembling the sampling kits and the Environment Agency staff who also undertook sampling.

Council backs bid for River Nidd bathing water status

North Yorkshire Council has backed a proposal to designate bathing water status to the River Nidd.

The motion was brought by Cllr Paul Haslam, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, which called on the authority to support the campaign.

The campaign comes after reports of numerous bathers falling ill last summer.

Cllr Haslam said:

“Knaresborough and the Nidd are one of the many jewels that North Yorkshire is blessed with.

“Knaresborough relies on the river to contribute to the local economy and wellbeing of the population in the form of riverside cafes, recreation on the river with regular bathing at the Lido.”

He added:

“It’s important that people can swim and enjoy the river without risks to their health.”

Councillors voted to support the proposal at a meeting in Northallerton yesterday.

Nidd Action Group and Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, are leading the campaign.

Following the vote, Mr Jones said he welcomed the support from the council.

He said:

“I am grateful to North Yorkshire councillors for backing this campaign. Bids to designate areas as official bathing water are substantially strengthened by having the support of the local authority.

“I know some seek to make party political points about this issue. I hope that this overwhelming cross-party support brings an end to this. Positive action is what is needed and I am working with local residents, businesses, community organisations and the Nidd Action Group on the bid.

“Success is never a guarantee but I am optimistic and this support from North Yorkshire Council is an important milestone.”

Volunteers turn out in force to support campaign for cleaner River Nidd

Conservationists, anglers, academics and residents turned out in force at Knaresborough yesterday to prepare to begin water sampling on the River Nidd.

Samples will be taken along the length of the river on August 3 and then again the following month.

The results will form part of a bid to achieve bathing water status on the Nidd, which would require agencies to take measures to improve water quality.

Yesterday’s gathering near Conyngham Hall enabled volunteers to learn how to conduct accurate sampling.

It follows concerns about the state of the river, amid reports of bathers at Knaresborough Lido falling ill after entering the water.

Test kits were supplied by Yorkshire Dales River Trust, a charity based in Pateley Bridge that helped gather data for the River Wharfe’s successful bid for bathing water status.

Charlotte Simons, a senior project manager at the trust, said the volunteers would test for nutrients, such as nitrates and phosphates, as well as bacteria, such as E coli. She added:

“By testing along the whole river we can get a snapshot of what’s happening.”

Charlotte Simons and David Clayden hold a test kit above the River Nidd.

David Clayden, chairman of Nidd Action Group, which was set up to co-ordinate the clean-up campaign, said:

“We’ve had a really good response from volunteers. The real thing starts on August 3, when everyone involved will be apportioned a place on the river to carry out sampling.”

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, is also supporting the campaign.

He is co-ordinating efforts to monitor how much the river is used at the Lido.

A bid for bathing water status is expected to be submitted to the government in autumn.

Yorkshire Water discharged sewage into the River Nidd 870 times last year, according to Environment Agency monitoring data.

The discharges lasted for a total of 6,177 hours. Dacre sewage pumping station alone saw 87 spills and 1,014 hours of sewage discharged.

By comparison, there were 318 spills into Oak Beck and Coppice Beck, which lasted for 438 hours.

Water companies are legally allowed to release sewage through overflow pipes when the sewage system becomes too full, which can happen during increased rainfall.

Council leader backs River Nidd bathing water campaign

The leader of North Yorkshire Council has said he will back a proposal to designate bathing water status to the River Nidd.

Cllr Paul Haslam, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, asked Cllr Carl Les whether he would support the application at a full North Yorkshire Council meeting in Northallerton today.

The campaign comes after reports of numerous bathers falling ill last summer.

Cllr Les said today:

“I am very happy to support that, I think it is a key issue for this council.”

He added he would back a motion by Cllr Haslam on the matter, which is due to be brought before a meeting in July, and “do whatever we can to further that cause”.

The application is due to be submitted to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs this year.

Nidd Action Group and Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, are leading the campaign.

Mr Jones recently issued a plea for volunteers to help monitor water usage.

In a three-minute video on his Community News website in April, the Harrogate and Knaresborough MP blamed the Victorian-era sewage system, run-off from agricultural land and drainage from housing estates for polluting the Nidd.

He said:

“May this year is a critical time as it marks the start of the bathing season when evidence must be collected for the bathing water application that I’m leading.

“This campaign is building momentum but we can’t let it slide.”

Andrew Jones MP appeals for help at ‘critical time’ for River Nidd bathing water bid

Conservative MP Andrew Jones has issued a plea for volunteers to help in the campaign to achieve bathing water status on the River Nidd.

Mr Jones plans to submit an application for bathing water status at Knaresborough Lido after reports of numerous bathers falling ill last summer.

If successful, it would oblige government agencies to take action to improve water quality.

In a three-minute video on his Community News website, the Harrogate and Knaresborough MP blamed the Victorian-era sewage system, run-off from agricultural land and drainage from housing estates for polluting the Nidd.

He asked for volunteers to help with the campaign. He said:

“May this year is a critical time as it marks the start of the bathing season when evidence must be collected for the bathing water application that I’m leading.

“This campaign is building momentum but we can’t let it slide. That’s why I’m calling out to anyone who is passionate about our environment or who uses the River Nidd to come forward and help with the volunteer work.”

Mr Jones said data would be collected over summer and urged anyone interested in helping to get in touch.

He said he would be working alongside Nidd Action Group between now and September to apply for bathing water designation.

Steve Kirkley, from Blenkhorn’s Boats

Steve Kirkley, from Blenkhorn’s Boats, which operates boat hire on the Nidd, told the video improved water quality would “lead to more enjoyable surroundings” while David Clayden, secretary of Harrogate Fly Fishers’ Club, said it would create “a better environment for the river”.

Nicola Shaw, chief executive of Yorkshire Water, said it was important to work in partnership to improve water quality.

‘Nidd plagued by foul sewage’

This week Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, accused Conservative MPs of “blocking new tough measures on water companies” to tackle sewage discharge.

Mr Gordon said the Sewage Discharge Bill would have introduced automatic fines on water companies breaking their sewage dumping permits but Conservative MPs voted to block it.

Mr Gordon, said:

“The Nidd has been plagued by foul sewage discharges. People across Harrogate and Knaresborough are furious about this, yet the Conservative government keeps blocking new laws to get tough on water companies.”

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Water sampling continues

Knaresborough Lib Dems send message to MP

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‘Nidd plagued by foul sewage’

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