England’s leisure waters, or ‘blue areas’ are getting used recreationally in additional locations, and throughout extra months, than the present bathing water rules cowl, based on an Atmosphere Company (EA) report.
The EA Chief Scientists Workplace labored with 17 organisations, together with the Clear Water Sports activities Alliance (of which BSAC is a member), to collate over 13,500 information of swimming, paddling, rowing, crusing, and browsing, utilizing information from 2017 to 2024.
The ‘Exploring water recreation in England’ report revealed 3,347 distinct areas the place actions are going down.
The report says there are 3 times as many inland freshwater websites (2,521) as there are coastal and estuarine areas (826).
For context, there are at present solely 451 designated bathing waters, of which simply 15 are rivers.
Dr Robert Bradburne, Chief Scientist for the Atmosphere Company mentioned:
For the primary time, we have now sturdy and insightful information on how individuals use our waterways on a nationwide scale.
Communities are utilizing our rivers, lakes and seas for a lot of causes and it’s clear that the way in which individuals work together with their native water environments has modified over time.
We need to help water customers by serving to them to make knowledgeable choices when out on the water.
This information will assist us to plan our assets successfully as we work with the Authorities to implement their bathing water reforms.
Mary Tetley, BSAC CEO mentioned:
As a member of the Clear Water Sports activities Alliance, BSAC welcomes this new report. It will likely be a priceless instrument to assist us to proceed making the case for water recreation and the necessity for clear, accessible waters.
Clear Water Sports activities Alliance – championing change
The ‘Exploring water recreation in England’ report additionally confirms what The Clear Water Sports activities Alliance has been championing for a very long time.
Leisure water use is going on in way more locations — and throughout extra months of the yr — than the present bathing water rules cowl.
Solely 20% of the swimming areas recognized have been inside 500m of a chosen bathing water web site.
This highlights the necessity for stronger protections and broader recognition of “leisure waters” in coverage.
Earlier this yr, the Authorities dedicated to reviewing whether or not the definition of bathing waters wanted to alter to incorporate extra consumer sorts. It additionally dedicated to extending the dates of the present bathing season to higher mirror how persons are collaborating.
What this implies for the CWSA:
- Our voice is being heard – Our considerations and ambitions are influencing nationwide coverage conversations.
- Smarter infrastructure planning – With a clearer image of the place open water swimming already occurs, we are able to determine the place to interact with water corporations, the place to help new areas for occasions, and the place to guard current ones.
- Open information for collaboration – The challenge leaves us with a brand new, open dataset of leisure hotspots throughout England which might help future planning and partnerships.
- Coverage momentum – The report strengthens the case for transferring from a slender ‘bathing water’ designation to a broader ‘leisure water’ standing in coverage, recognising the variety of sports activities throughout the Alliance.
The Clear Water Sports activities Alliance are grateful to the Atmosphere Company’s Chief Scientist’s analysis group as with this new proof base, we are able to make better-informed choices, construct stronger partnerships, and advocate extra successfully for the water environments that underpin our sports activities.
