Cambridge City Council backs plan to tackle River Cam's 'rancid filth'

The Cam Valley Forum has applied to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to create an area of designated bathing water

Councillors have backed moves to create a designed bathing area to tackle a river's "rancid filth".

Labour-controlled Cambridge City Council will support Cam Valley Forum's application to clean up an area of the River Cam at Sheep's Green in Cambridge.

But some councillors raised concerns it could provide a false sense of safety.

Labour councillor Sam Carling said removing sewage from the river was good for both people and wildlife.

The executive councillor for open spaces and city services said he wanted to get the "rancid filth out of the river" but added the city council would not be promoting the area as a place to swim.

A council report included details of a consultation by the Cam Valley Forum, which indicated there was a large number of people already swimming in the river who were being exposed to the "significant health risks".

It said if water at Sheep's Green became a designated bathing area, the water quality would be monitored, and information about that water quality and pollution would be displayed.

'False impression'

Olaf Hauk, a Liberal Democrat councillor, said it was an opportunity to do something about the pollution in the River Cam.

A majority of the committee councillors voted in favour of supporting the Cam Valley Forum in its application to get designated bathing water

But Elliot Tong, Green Party councillor, said: "I think it is a pretty bad idea.

"Doing occasional tests for a few months a year has shown itself not to work very well in other places and it gives the false impression of safety, which could end up baiting someone that would not have gone swimming otherwise into swimming in the river."

A majority of the committee councillors voted in favour of supporting the Cam Valley Forum in its application to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to create a designated area of bathing water.