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Water quality in the River Nidd will probably not improve “for several years” despite having been granted bathing water status, according to the chair of the Nidd Action Group, which successfully campaigned for the designation. 

As we reported ahead of yesterday’s official announcement, Knaresborough Lido is one of 27 new bathing water sites named by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) ahead of the 2024 bathing season, which runs between 15 May and 30 September. 

The status means that the Environment Agency will now test river water at the site regularly and have a duty to act if water quality does not come up to the required standard. 

Defra’s approval of the status has been hailed a victory for campaigners, who were led by NAG and enjoyed heavyweight support from Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough. 

But David Clayden, chair of NAG, said that although he was pleased with the result, it did not mean the matter had been settled, or that the river had been cleaned up yet. He said: 

“I’m certainly happy that we’ve established the Lido as safe bathing water. It’s a good move for the town, for people who use the Lido, and for the river in general. 

“I would suggest, though, that we won’t see any improvement for several years.” 

He said that the Environment Agency would now be testing river water at the Lido every week for the next 30 weeks, after which it will decide on the basis of the data collected what classification the Lido will have: ‘excellent’, ‘good’, ‘sufficient’ or ‘poor’.  

Mr Clayden said: 

“I suspect it will be ‘poor’. The Environment Agency will then have to present a plan to improve the river’s water quality and work with Yorkshire Water and others to make it happen. 

“NAG’s actions now will be to keep on their tail, pressing, checking and challenging to make sure water quality does actually improve.” 

The lido for yesterday’s ministerial visit.

The campaign to have Knaresborough Lido designated as a bathing site came in response to long-standing concerns that the water in the River Nidd was dangerously polluted. 

In 2020, every section of the Nidd in the Harrogate district failed Environment Agency water quality tests, in part due to pollution from raw sewage. Since then, tests have consistently found high levels of harmful E.coli bacteria in the water.

E.coli in water is a strong indicator of faecal contamination and ingesting it can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, or even lead to more severe illnesses.

Nidd Action Group was set up by concerned residents and fishing enthusiasts in October 2022 and last year organised an army of volunteers to test water quality at sites along the river. They found that E.coli concentrations were strongest downstream of Oak Beck’s confluence with the Nidd and peaked in August, after wet weather caused Yorkshire Water to discharge untreated waste into the river. 

Earlier this year, a report from the Angling Trust found the Nidd to be among the UK’s most polluted rivers. 

The granting of bathing water status has been claimed as a victory for Mr Jones, who said: 

“Whilst I was quietly confident we would be successful I am delighted that we did it!” 

‘We deserve much better’

But his adversary Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, said that although the move was a “step in the right direction”, the government needed to do more. He said: 

“The government needs to go much further and stop sewage being pumped into the River Nidd and all swimming sites. Conservative ministers allowed disgraced water firms to spill sewage into the Nidd for a staggering 17,229 hours last year, a 113% increase on 2022.

“No swimmer should have to fear raw sewage making them sick. 

“Whilst the announcement is a step in the right direction, we deserve so much better. “

Mr Gordon said water companies would face punitive fines under Lib Dem plans to create a blue flag scheme for the Nidd. He added:

“Today the Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment to make water companies criminally liable for their sewage pollution. I am urging Andrew Jones to back this and finally get tough on these firms.”

Rivers minister Robbie Moore and Andrew Jones MP at Knaresborough Lido yesterday.

Shan Oakes, the Green Party parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said yesterday’s announcement came as “no surprise”, adding:

“As soon as we saw photos, some months ago,  of Andrew Jones MP posing with a minister, we knew that bathing water status would be conferred – because the Conservative Party wants Mr Jones to win here at the next election.

“This is laughable because it is Conservative policy which has led to the exponential destruction of our river habitats.”

Ms Oakes said bathing water status meant “very little in fact” because the Environment Agency, which will be responsible for monitoring water quality, “has been reduced  by the Tories to a tiny fragment of its original size” and “will have difficulty in carrying out this added responsibility”.

“To actually improve water quality, there needs to be a fundamental change in ideology.  That change is to stop depending on  ‘the market’ to run things. We need government to put back real dynamic regulation or to bring these public services back into proper public control.”

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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”.

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North Yorkshire’s roadside litter branded ‘an absolute disgrace’

Local authorities in England’s largest county have been accused of allowing “corridors of shame” by failing to clear roadside litter.

A North Yorkshire County Council meeting today heard the cleanliness of many verges, ranging from the A1(M) to country lanes, branded “an absolute disgrace”.

The meeting was told although there appeared to be a rising tide of takeaway wrappers and human waste being thrown from vehicles, some roadsides in the county had not been cleared for at least 15 years by district and borough councils, despite them having a statutory responsibility to clear it.

Members were told the main challenge to clearing roadside litter related to safety.

Amanda Dyson, Richmondshire District Council’s waste and street scene manager, said the authority was constrained by safety issues and having to work when Highways England was carrying out road repairs.

She said because safety rules meant single carriageway A-roads could only be cleaned at night, the cleaning was dependent on council staff volunteering to work night shifts to deal with often unpleasant litter, such as bottles of urine.

Ms Dyson said:

“We have calculated there could be huge costs involved if we were to do this.”

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Chris Brown, a parish councillor from Newsham, close to the A66, said National Highways had declined to accept responsibility for cleaning the A66, as it has for other major roads elsewhere, before suggesting the Department for Transport could resolve the issue.

Members were told the DfT had stated cleaning roadside litter was not its responsibility and referred campaigners to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

No confidence in council officers making a difference

Defra had simply replied to Coun Brown that there was unlikely to be any significant change to the bodies responsible for clearing roadside litter for the foreseeable future, the meeting heard.

Coun Brown said he had no confidence senior council officers were determined to make an immediate difference, adding:

“Do local residents and people who travel through the area continue to have to travel through what I call the corridor of shame? It looks like the side of a landfill tip in parts.”

The meeting heard councillors call for a county-wide strategy and action, saying the roadsides of North Yorkshire were poor in comparison with those in neighbouring council areas such as County Durham.

County council deputy leader Councillor Gareth Dadd said while the authority’s executive was currently restricted to raising roadside litter concerns with the district and borough councils responsible for clearing it, it was “an issue that could be looked at with a little more depth and seriousness” by the unitary North Yorkshire Council after it is launched in May 2023. He added:

“As with any aspiration or desire it will come with a price tag, and that will have to go into the mix with the other priorities and challenges everybody has.”