This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Bathing waters designations
01/02/2007
The number of officially designated Scottish bathing waters in Scotland will fall from 63 to 61 this year in line with recommendations of an independent Bathing Water Review Panel.
Deputy Environment Minister Sarah Boyack has accepted the recommendations of panel members to de-designate three beaches, at Morar, Shell Bay in Fife and Turnberry, on the grounds that they are infrequently used by members of the public and there was no support for their retention from either their operators or the local communities.
The existing bathing water at Elie will be subdivided into two to reflect the geographical split between two beaches at Elie Harbour and Ruby Bay.
Ms Boyack said:
"The quality of Scotland's bathing waters has improved significantly over recent years and, for the first time ever, we achieved 100 percent compliance with bathing water standards last year.
"We are determined to maintain those high standards. To do so we will ensure that resources are directed to protect those beaches that the public actually use.
"In line with that commitment I have today accepted the recommendations of the independent Bathing Water Review Panel which found that three beaches at Morar, Shell Bay and Turnberry should be de-designated.
"Three further beaches at Dunnet, Fraserburgh (Philorth) and Rosehearty will retain their designation on the basis of increased usage and support from their operators and the local communities."
There are currently 63 bathing waters designated under the Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC) - two at inland lochs, the rest coastal. Official recognition requires that identified sites must meet certain water quality standards as set down by the Directive, in order to protect the health of bathers. All current sites passed the Directive's standards in 2006, for the first time ever. Member States are required to identify sites where there are large numbers of bathers present in order to afford them appropriate protection. The first sites in Scotland (23) were identified in 1987. There have been further identifications made in 1999 (37) and 2006 (3).
Clean Coast Scotland were asked by Scottish Ministers in 2004 to establish the Bathing Water Review Panel to consider applications for future bathing water designation and to review the continued designated status of those bathing waters with the lowest usage. This is in order to identify and possibly designate any remaining sites in Scotland that attract large numbers of users, as required by the Directive, but are as yet unofficially recognised, whilst removing those where bathing is no longer practiced.
This is the second year that the Panel has undertaken its role. As with last year, applications for new designations were sought from a range of stakeholders, including local authorities, community groups and other interested bodies. Applicants had to show evidence of peak daily usage of 150 people or more on three separate days during the bathing water season, as well as evidence of appropriate beach management, and the support of the beach owner-operator. The criteria for new applicants were agreed by Ministers following consultation in 2004. Only one application was received in 2006, for Helensburgh Bay, but this was rejected as it did not meet the criteria of providing evidence of usage.
The Panel will also be seeking new applications for designation and reappraising other existing sites for de-designation in 2007, the last year that it will be operating. Applications will be assessed following the end of the 2007 bathing season, September 15.