Fylde coast on track for safe swimming water on all beaches by 2027 amid council and Environment Agency focus

The Fylde coast is on track to have safe swimming conditions on all its beaches by next year amid council pledges to improve water cleanliness and extra focus from the Environment Agency.

With all beach areas in the Fylde coast currently rated on their cleanliness as either ‘sufficient’ or ‘good’ apart from Blackpool North, the Environment Agency (EA) has confirmed that improving conditions at Blackpool North is their number one priority amid extra water quality checks.

The extra focus from the EA comes at a time when council chiefs have pledged to improve bathing waters off Blackpool North after they were rated 'poor' for the fifth year in a row. The rating - following regular testing by the EA - means, once more, visitors are advised not to swim or paddle in the area, particularly between May and October.

But the Agency has revealed improving water quality in the area is their number one priority and the EA will be carrying out extra quality checks to ensure Blackpool North can once more open to swimmers. Blackpool North runs from the Tower and sits between the Central and North Pier.

If Blackpool North is improved, all four Blackpool beach areas (Blackpool North, Bispham, Blackpool Central, and Blackpool South) will be rated as safe for swimmers.

The waters off Blackpool North have been classified as 'poor' since 2022 and regulations mean Blackpool Council must put up signs warning against bathing during the holiday season. These signs must remain in place until testing reveals the waters have improved.

However, the council has revealed conditions are gradually improving and the resort's other beaches have a clean bill of health.

An EA spokesperson said: "If bathing waters are rated as 'poor', it is advised to avoid swimming or bathing in those areas. This is due to the potential risk to bathers' health associated with poor water quality.

"During the bathing season, when it's warmer and there's more sunlight, algae can bloom in marine and freshwaters, which can be mistaken for sewage. It's safest to assume that any algae bloom is toxic and avoid contact with the water or algae."

“Still work to be done”

Coun Jane Hugo, the council's cabinet member for climate change, said: "Improving bathing waters in Blackpool remains a priority for the council.

"We are committed to making sure that residents and visitors can enjoy our coastline safely. Last year Blackpool's bathing waters performed better than the decline seen in some other parts of the region. While we welcome this, the council recognises that there is still work to be done.

"We are a lead member of Turning Tides, a regional partnership dedicated to tackling bathing water pollution at its source. The partnership includes the Environment Agency, rivers trusts, United Utilities and other local authorities. We take the lead in this because of how important water quality is to our economy.

“Our busiest bathing waters, South and Central, continue to meet the 'sufficient' classification. More work is needed from all partners to improve them, but these results offer reassurance to residents and visitors that our busiest beaches remain safe to enjoy. We were also pleased that Bispham retained its 'Good' classification."

‘Varied and complex’

The EA describe the reasons for Blackpool North's 'Poor' rating are 'varied and complex'. They include storm overflows, run-offs from farms and other agricultural sites, bird faeces and discharges from water company United Utilities.

This week United Utilities revealed its profits after tax for the year ended March 31, was £730m up from £513m a year earlier. Amid a storm of criticism, CEO Louisea Beardmore announced the firm would be funding more measures to stop pollution as part of a £1.4bn spend over the next 12 months.

CEO Louise Beardmore said in a statement: "Operationally, we are making real progress on the issues that matter most, including significant reductions in storm overflow spills and sewer flooding."

Two years ago, Ms Beardmore was appointed as an ambassador for Meet Blackpool - a group set up in order to encourage firms to hold conferences and events in the resort. Her appointment came in for widespread criticism, including from Dr Barbara Kneale from campaign group Fylde Coast Against Sewage, who said: "Why is she an ambassador for Blackpool?

"I would say making the sea unswimmable isn't giving Blackpool a good name."

United Utilities

United Utilities routinely discharge more raw sewage into the sea than any other water company. In 2023, a damaged water pipe led to a spillage of raw sewage, which United Utilities described as an 'isolated incident'. Millions of pounds had to be spent repairing the pipeline in Fleetwood after it was damaged in a storm.

An EA spokesperson revealed that, despite improvements in drainage by United Utilities, water quality in Blackpool North has been in steady decline over the last four seasons. They said: "Despite improvement in bathing water quality from 2015, following significant water company investment in the sewerage network, the EA has seen deterioration in the bathing water at Blackpool North in the last four years.

"The bathing waters are also affected by a range of agricultural sources, including livestock farming in the Ribble catchment and saltmarsh grazing. There are also impacts from other sources including the sewerage infrastructure on the piers, seabirds and birds roosting under the piers.

"United Utilities' investment plan contains a number of assets for improvement along the Blackpool and Fylde coastline. These include storm overflows on the Fylde coast."

“More resources and increased inspections”

Improvements at Blackpool North are a priority for the EA. The spokesperson added: "It is one of our priority bathing waters, which means we have focused more resources and increased inspections in the area.

"We will be undertaking an additional 10 farm inspections in the Fylde area alongside more than 30 inspections of water company assets in the area during the course of the year. We will continue to work with the Turning Tides partnership across the north west to improve bathing water quality."

Campaign group Surfers Against Sewage monitors water quality at more than 800 sites on the British coastline. Their latest report for Blackpool North says: "Bathing is not advised. A sewer outflow discharges south of the beach."

But Coun Hugo remained upbeat as Blackpool looks forward to the summer season. She said: "It is disappointing that Blackpool North remained classified as 'Poor'. We are working closely with the Environment Agency and United Utilities to identify the causes and take action to improve water quality.

"That said, our beaches continue to maintain a high standard of cleanliness and Blackpool's coastal offer also includes our fabulous attractions and Promenade so people can always be confident of having a great time here."