Bathing water review Wales 2023

The aim of this consultation is to seek views on our proposal to identify Ogmore By Sea Beach, Watch House Bay, Burry Port West Beach and Burry Port East Beach as bathing waters under the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 for the 2023 bathing season.

The Welsh Government is required to identify popular bathing waters in Wales, monitor their water quality and keep bathers well informed about water quality at these identified sites. In Wales the bathing season runs from 15 May to 30 September.

One of the requirements under the Regulations is for the Welsh Government to annually review and publish the list of identified bathing waters in Wales.

Please submit your comments by 1 March 2023.

Please respond to this consultation by answering the questions set out in the response form. Responses can be submitted by:

Email: water@gov.wales

Or 

Post: 

Water Branch (Bathing Water Consultation)
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff 
CF10 3NQ

Link to the Welsh Government consultation website.

If you have any queries on this consultation, please email water@gov.wales or telephone 03000250423.

Large print, Braille and alternative language versions of this document are available on request.

Mae’r ddogfen yma hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg / This document is also available in Welsh.

The Welsh Government will be data controller for any personal data you provide as part of your response to the consultation. Welsh Ministers have statutory powers they will rely on to process this personal data which will enable them to make informed decisions about how they exercise their public functions. Any response you send us will be seen in full by Welsh Government staff dealing with the issues which this consultation is about or planning future consultations. Where the Welsh Government undertakes further analysis of consultation responses then this work may be commissioned to be carried out by an accredited third party (e.g. a research organisation or a consultancy company). Any such work will only be undertaken under contract. Welsh Government’s standard terms and conditions for such contracts set out strict requirements for the processing and safekeeping of personal data.

In order to show that the consultation was carried out properly, the Welsh Government intends to publish a summary of the responses to this document. We may also publish responses in full. Normally, the name and address (or part of the address) of the person or organisation who sent the response are published with the response. If you do not want your name or address published, please tell us this in writing when you send your response. We will then redact them before publishing.

You should also be aware of our responsibilities under Freedom of Information legislation.

If your details are published as part of the consultation response then these published reports will be retained indefinitely. Any of your data held otherwise by Welsh Government will be kept for no more than three years.

Your rights

Under the data protection legislation, you have the right:

• to be informed of the personal data held about you and to access it
• to require us to rectify inaccuracies in that data
• to (in certain circumstances) object to or restrict processing
• for (in certain circumstances) your data to be ‘erased’
• to (in certain circumstances) data portability
• to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who is our independent regulator for data protection. 

For further details about the information the Welsh Government holds and its use, or if you want to exercise your rights under the UK GDPR, please see contact details below: 
 
Data Protection Officer:
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
CARDIFF
CF10 3NQ
e-mail: dataprotectionofficer@gov.wales
 
The contact details for the Information Commissioner’s Office are: 

Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Tel: 01625 545 745 or 
0303 123 1113
Website: Information Commissioner’s Office

The aim of this consultation is to seek views about our proposal to identify Ogmore By Sea Beach, Watch House Bay, Burry Port West Beach and Burry Port East Beach as designated bathing waters under the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 for the 2023 bathing season.

The Bathing Water Regulations 2013 requires the Welsh Government to annually identify all popular bathing areas in Wales. The objective of the Regulations is to protect bathers’ health against faecal pollution and provide information to the public to enable them to make informed decisions about where and when they bathe.

Bather numbers is the criteria which the Welsh Government will apply when considering whether it is appropriate to designate a site. Any infrastructure or facilities provided, or other measures taken to promote bathing at the site will also be considered.
 

The Bathing Water Directive 2006/7/EC which put in place a mechanism to identify bathing waters in the UK forms part of retained EU law in Wales. The Bathing Water Regulations 2013 specify the statutory requirements associated with the management of bathing waters in Wales.

The Regulations require the Welsh Government to annually identify popular bathing areas in Wales. The objective of the Regulations is to protect bathers’ health and inform bathers of potential health hazards associated with poor water quality.  

There are currently 107 designated bathing waters in Wales. Once a bathing water has been designated, the water quality is tested by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) during the bathing season, which runs from 15 May to 30 September. Designated bathing waters are classified as excellent, good, sufficient or poor depending on water quality sampling results. The bathing water quality classifications are based on two microbiological parameters: intestinal enterococci and E.coli.

The results of individual designated bathing waters in Wales are published on the Welsh Government’s website.

Bathing waters are valuable for the recreational opportunities they provide to the people of Wales, the local economy and tourism. The Welsh Government’s Programme for Government has also made a commitment to begin to designate Wales’ inland waters for recreation.

We have received a request from St. Brides Major Community Council for Ogmore By Sea Beach (SS860754) to be considered for designation as a bathing water for the 2023 bathing season. 

 The application provided information regarding facilities at or nearby the site, including parking, public toilets, and food trading pitches that are licensed by the local council. The local council has also advised that there are lifeguards present during the summer.

The application did not provide evidence of bathers at the site, however it indicated that it is used regularly for surfing, paddleboarding and swimming. Information about Ogmore By Sea Beach can be found at: Ogmore-by-Sea (valeofglamorgan.gov.uk)

We have received a request from Vale of Glamorgan Council for Watch House Bay, Barry (ST103662) to be considered for designation as a bathing water for the 2023 bathing season.  

The application provided a bathing water survey for Watch House Bay, Barry which identified over 2,000 swimmers and paddlers using the beach between 15 May 2022 and 21 September 2022. Over the same period, approximately 750 other beach users were identified in the survey.

The survey was compiled by several groups and organisations who use and operate at the site, including a swimming group and a lifeguard club. 

Information was provided on local consultation and support for the proposed designation. Photographs showing members of the public in the water and on the beach were provided.  Photographs were also provided which included evidence of the access ramp onto the beach, public toilets, parking, and the picnic area next to the beach.

We have received a request from a member of the public for Burry Port West Beach (SS440999) to be considered for designation as a bathing water for the 2023 bathing season.  

The application provided a bathing water survey for Burry Port West Beach which identified over 1,400 swimmers and paddlers using the beach between 27 May 2022 and 11 September 2022. Over the same period, approximately 15 other beach users were identified in the survey.

The survey was compiled by the member of the public who submitted the application, and photographs showing members of the public in the water and on the beach were provided.  

Evidence was provided on local consultation and support for the proposed designation from individuals, local groups, and businesses. Information on beach facilities and access was also provided, including parking, toilets, and shops. The local council has advised that there are no lifeguards present at this beach.

We have received a request from a member of the public for Burry Port East Beach (SN447001) to be considered for designation as a bathing water for the 2023 bathing season.  

The application provided a bathing water survey for Burry Port East Beach which identified over 1,000 swimmers and paddlers using the beach between 27 May 2022 and 11 September 2022. Over the same period approximately 60 other beach users were identified in the survey.

The survey was compiled by the member of the public who submitted the application, and photographs showing members of the public in the water and on the beach were provided.  

Evidence was provided on local consultation and support for the proposed designation from individuals, local groups and businesses. Information on beach facilities and access was also provided, including toilets and shops. The local council has advised that there are no lifeguards present at this beach.

All the responses to this consultation will be analysed and considered and the Welsh Government will publish a summary of responses.

Your name:    

Organisation (if applicable):

email / telephone number:

Your address:

Question 1

Do you agree or disagree with our proposal to designate Ogmore By Sea Beach as a bathing water for the 2023 bathing season?

What is your view on the proposal and your reason/evidence to support your view?

Question 2

Do you agree or disagree with our proposal to designate Watch House Bay, Barry as a bathing water for the 2023 bathing season?

What is your view on the proposal and your reason/evidence to support your view?

Question 3

Do you agree or disagree with our proposal to designate Burry Port West Beach as a bathing water for the 2023 bathing season?

What is your view on the proposal and your reason/evidence to support your view?

Question 4

Do you agree or disagree with our proposal to designate Burry Port East Beach as a bathing water for the 2023 bathing season?

What is your view on the proposal and your reason/evidence to support your view?

Question 5

We would like to know your views on the effects the proposals would have on the Welsh language, specifically on opportunities for people to use Welsh and on treating the Welsh language no less favourably than English. 

What effects do you think there would be? How could positive effects be increased, or negative effects be mitigated? 

Question 6

Please also explain how you believe the proposed actions could be formulated or changed to have positive effects or increased positive effects on opportunities for people to use the Welsh language and on treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language, and no adverse effects on opportunities for people to use the Welsh language and on treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language.  

Question 7

We have asked a number of specific questions. If you have any related issues which we have not specifically addressed, please use this space to report them:

Please enter here:

Responses to consultations are likely to be made public, on the internet or in a report.  If you would prefer your response to remain anonymous, please tick here: