Fylde Council defends St Annes beach after pollution warning
- Published
The beach at St Annes Pier was given a Seaside Award for 2022 from Keep Britain Tidy
Council bosses have defended the water quality at a popular beach after the government urged people not to bathe there.
The Department for Education, Food and Rural Affairs issued a pollution warning for St Annes North beach in Lancashire.
It came after sewage was pumped into the sea following heavy rainfall.
Fylde Council responded by pointing out the beach at St Annes Pier was "fantastic" and had won awards.
Bosses were keen to stress the warning was not permanent, despite it being the third pollution incident this month.
A spokesman said: "The bathing water quality was affected at St Annes North recently, but the advice against bathing was temporary."
He said the warnings related to "short-term pollution events" and had "clearly identifiable causes", which would not be expected to last more than three days.
United Utilities was recently granted permission to pump storm water into the sea to prevent a risk of flooding at their waste water treatment works.
Seaside award
The beach has a chequered history in terms of its water quality.
A recent study conducted by Business Waste, a commercial waste collection company, declared it the dirtiest beach in Britain.
At the time it was found to have the highest count of E. coli in a study of 425 beaches across England, Wales and Scotland.
However, the council insisted that did not provide "a realistic picture".
The beach at St Annes Pier was awarded a Seaside Award, external for 2022 by Keep Britain Tidy based on the availability of life-saving equipment, the quality of water and the low levels of litter.
The council spokesman added: "While we continue to work with our partners at the Environment Agency and United Utilities to improve the water quality at St Annes North, we would also like to proudly shout about the fantastic beach we have."
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