A popular swimming and paddling spot in Yorkshire has become the first designated river bathing site in England.
The stretch of the River Wharfe, between Main Bridge and Beanlands Island in Ilkley, will be added to the list of waters in England granted bathing status by the Government from 2021.
The river will be monitored by the Environment Agency from May, helping to make the water cleaner and safer for swimmers.
The decision was made following a public consultation and means that samples will regularly be taken from the river between May and September to assess if action is needed to cut bacteria levels.
THE River Wharfe in Ilkley is the first in the UK to gain bathing water status, the Government has announced today. The area of the river which runs between Ilkley Main Bridge and Beanlands Island will be added to the list of bathing waters in England from 2021. It follows a public consultation by DEFRA which ran from August 7 to October 2. It was prompted by an application from the Ilkley Clean River Group, who want to ensure the river - which can attract over a thousand people on sunny days - is fit to paddle and swim in. Responses to the consultation were received from a wide range of interested parties across the country, including Ilkley residents, NGOs, conservation groups and Yorkshire Water.
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People enjoying the River Wharfe in Ilkley in summer 2020 THE River Wharfe in Ilkley is the first in the UK to gain bathing water status, the Government has announced today. The area of the river which runs between Ilkley Main Bridge and Beanlands Island will be added to the list of bathing waters in England from 2021. It follows a public consultation by DEFRA which ran from August 7 to October 2. It was prompted by an application from the Ilkley Clean River Group, who want to ensure the river - which can attract over a thousand people on sunny days - is fit to paddle and swim in.