River Stour swimmers criticise bathing water rule changes

The Manningtree Mermaids are behind the S.W.I.M campaign and they swim in the river all year round

Wild swimmers hoping for bathing water status for their local river said they were "horrified" after the government changed the rules.

The swimmers are applying for water quality to be monitored in the River Stour in Manningtree, Essex.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) changed the application criteria last month.

Defra said the new guidance would make the application process "clearer and more streamlined".

Helen Whitehead (left) says the changes have been a "huge blow" to the groups applying for bathing water status

If a site is designated, the Environment Agency will monitor water quality during the bathing season to protect the health of people swimming.

Campaigners had previously been told to count the number of people who used the water on 20 different days over the summer, but there was no set target for the number of bathers.

Under the latest guidance, they need to provide evidence of 100 bathers on two days of the season, which runs from May to September, and proof of nearby toilets.

The S.W.I.M (Safe Water in Manningtree) team said the changes were made too late, causing confusion for their application and multiple others.

Lawford C of E Primary School is supporting the campaign and moved some of its lessons to the beach recently

Helen Whitehead, from the team, said: "Moving the goalposts eight weeks into the cycle is a huge blow to those who have worked so hard on their applications and will now no longer meet the requirements. It is unacceptable.

"Thankfully we believe we still fulfil the criteria at Manningtree as we have a hugely popular town beach, which is easily accessible, ideal for swimming and paddling and close to local amenities, but so many won't."

More than 350 people took to the river to support the campaign in May, but the rule changes mean they cannot be counted because it was an organised event.

Dr Jennie Gamlin (left) says the changes go against the values "that are enshrined in creating a designated bathing water status for our community"

Dr Jennie Gamlin, associate professor of global health at University College London, who is part of the Manningtree campaign, said: "We are quite frankly horrified. Defra's move undermines any attempt at bringing scientific rigour when rules are changed half way into the assessment process.

"We have worked so hard with the local community to encourage their support and we are now told that these efforts are a waste of time, that fabulous participation we have had from schoolchildren and local businesses does not count."

The site has been used by bathers for over 100 years, with the earliest record of swimming back in 1912

Anne Miller, a member of the Cam Valley Forum, is applying for the status for a stretch of the River Cam in the centre of Cambridge.

Her group had set up a rota for counting swimmers over the 20 days, which has now been scrapped.

"This came completely out of the blue, it's outrageous. What is really bad is the chaos and confusion this has created and the new information is completely contradictory," she said.

"You have to wonder, did they change it because they want to make it harder for groups to apply? It's a lot of work to monitor the river and if the quality is poor, there is a statutory obligation to clean it up."

Campaigners are hoping to get bathing water status for Sheep's Green, which is a stretch of the River Cam

More than 20 communities are currently applying for bathing water status, according to charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS).

Kirsty Davies, from SAS, said it was "not happy with the changes" that had brought in "so many more barriers".

"Criteria of an average of at least 100 bathers a day during the bathing season, and toilet facilities up to 500 metres away, isn't practical for river locations," she said.

"Other water users, such as paddleboarders, aren't taken into account, along with bathers who are taking part in organised events.

"Communities had already started to count water users over 20 days as per the previous requirement. Defra now only asks for two days, which is less onerous, but has wasted communities' time."

A Defra spokesperson said: "We encourage applications and provide this guidance to help people understand the criteria that must be met, including the need to show that the site is regularly used by sufficient numbers of bathers.

"The updated guidance makes applying for our bathing water designations clearer and more streamlined for applicants, and groups have until the end of October to submit their applications this year."