Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has urged people to back the long-running bid to improve the River Nidd as it enters a key period.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has opened a consultation on 27 applications for bathing water status, including one for the Nidd at the Lido in Knaresborough.
If successful, the Environment Agency will be obliged to undertake measures to improve water quality at the Lido, which would impact the rest of the river,
Conservative MP Mr Jones, who has led the campaign, submitted the bid to Defra in September.
More than 30 farming groups, parish and town councils, businesses and environmental groups have supported it.
They include Lido landowner Frank Maguire, the chief executive of Yorkshire Water, nearby Conservative MPs, nearby businesses including Blenkhorn’s Boats and the Watermill Cafe and parish councils representing Pateley Bridge, Birstwirth, Bewerley, Little Ribston, Scotton and Lingerfield, Hampsthwaite, Kirk Hammerton and Moor Monkton.
Mr Jones (left) and Knaresborough Lido owner Frank Maguire.
Mr Jones said
“It is good that our bid for bathing water status has reached the next stage. We need to demonstrate strong support for the bid and so I encourage residents and businesses to take part.
“If we achieve bathing water status that means the Environment Agency will put in place plans to address water quality problems at the Lido which will have benefits up and downstream from the site.”
He said Yorkshire Water had already committed £180 million to reduce the operation of storm overflows in addition to £147 million already committed in its business plan, and added that according to the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust, water run-off from farmland is the biggest Nidd pollution factor.
Mr Jones said:
“I know that local people are behind the bathing water bid but we need to show Defra that this is the case and we need to do so right now because of the tight deadline for this consultation.
“The site is ideal. There are plenty of local facilities on site, the landowner is supporting the case and the site is well-used recreationally. The consultation is short and if you need more information about the bid it is available online. We only have until March 10 to give our views so we need to act quickly.”
Details on how to take part in the consultation are here.
Main image: a photo from Mr Jones’ Defra submission showing people at the Lido in June last year.
Read more:
- Environment secretary ‘impressed’ by River Nidd bathing water bid
- Rivers Nidd and Ure named among UK’s most polluted rivers
- Tories and Lib Dems clash over River Nidd water quality
