Fylde Council is committed to continuing its efforts to improve the quality of its bathing waters in 2025 through ongoing collaboration with key local and national partners.

The Fylde Technical Bathing Water Group, chaired by the Council’s Lead Member for Environment, brings together expertise from United Utilities, the Environment Agency, the Ribble Rivers Trust, and the wider Turning Tides Partnership. This multi-agency group remains focused on identifying pollution sources within the Ribble catchment and supporting targeted actions to address them.

“The quality of our bathing waters is crucial for the health of our environment, the safety of our residents, and the vitality of our tourism industry,” said Councillor Tommy Threlfall, Lead Member for Environment. “We are dedicated to continuing our work with partners to ensure that we achieve tangible improvements in water quality.”

In 2024, Fylde Council supported a community-led initiative with Fylde Coast Against Sewerage (FCAS) to conduct parallel water quality testing, which corroborated the Environment Agency’s findings and helped build public confidence in local water monitoring. Although this community project will not continue into 2025, the Council remains engaged with FCAS and other local organisations to advocate for cleaner waters.

United Utilities continues to support the work of the partners, having invested £691 million in Fylde Coast projects since 1989. Their ongoing work includes measures to reduce pollution and improve wastewater management. Fylde Council’s role involves facilitating collaboration, raising public awareness, and providing local insights.

The Council and its partners will focus on:

  • Supporting United Utilities in identifying and reducing pollution hotspots in the Ribble catchment.
  • Enhancing public awareness and safety, particularly during pollution risks.
  • Ensuring that the Environment Agency are made aware of any enforcement issues and that the appropriate action is undertaken.

Fylde Council reaffirms that improving bathing water quality is a shared responsibility amongst all partners. By working together, the partnership aims to achieve ongoing improvements in water quality standards.

“We are committed to maintaining our efforts to ensure that our bathing waters meet and exceed the required standards, protecting them for future generations,” added Councillor Threlfall.


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