River clean-up campaign set to win council support

A community-based campaign dedicated to improving the water quality in one of the North of England’s longest rivers looks set to receive a major boost next week with the backing of North Yorkshire Council.

A full meeting of the authority on Wednesday (July 24) will consider a notice of motion calling for a bathing water application to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for the River Swale in Richmond, a popular swimming site for both residents and tourists.

The meeting comes just days after a public meeting in Richmond Town Hall heard there was fecal matter, E.coli, nitrates and phosphates in the river and strong support among the scores of residents attending to apply for the designated bathing status.
Earlier this year, Save Our Swale, which is behind the proposed application, said it was “appalled, but not surprised”, by the huge increase in untreated sewage being dumped in Yorkshire’s rivers in 2023.

The mid-Swale saw 2,183 sewage dumps, up from 1,342 in 2022.

If successful, the application would mean the Swale in Richmond would become the second stretch of river in the county to be tested for pollutants by the Environment Agency through the summer months, following the River Nidd at Knaresborough being granted the status in May.

If granted the status, the agency would investigate sources of pollution in the Swale in Richmond and recommend measures to improve water quality. However, bathing water designation does not mean the water meets bathing water quality standards or that water is safe for bathers.
Yorkshire Water says it is committed to reducing storm overflows across Yorkshire and is investing £180m by April to tackle the issue and improve river and coastal water quality.

Recent weeks have seen the firm launch initiatives to tackle pollution in the county’s rivers including the Wharfe and the Derwent.

The notice of motion, proposed by Richmond councillor Stuart Parsons, states improving the quality of the Swale would have significant benefits for the environment, public health, recreation and the local economy.

Coun Parsons said: “There are many hundreds of people who bathe in the river and given the pollution we are detecting there is a great concern somebody somewhere will fall very ill.

“The wild swimmers who use the Swale are reticent about putting their heads under the water for fear of swallowing. We are also concerned our water companies are not protecting a natural resource.

“Save Our Swale has been carrying regular testing and the pollution levels are much higher than anything that should be tolerated and particularly around the sewage treatment works at Easby Bridge.”

The authority’s leader, Councillor Carl Les, said he hoped elected members would back the motion so the council could support the application for similar action to that taking place at the River Nidd.

He added: “There should be no risk from a health point of view in swimming in any of our watercourses at appropriate places and times.”