River Swale, Richmond, is proposed new swimming spot

Designation would mean sites are subject to regular water quality testing, giving people a better idea of the state of the water they are swimming, paddling or enjoying water sports in.

Communities and campaigners hope it will increase pressure for efforts to clean up their local rivers and coasts.

The River Swale joins 12 other locations across the UK that have been earmarked as a designated swimming site, including the River Thames in London, Little Shore, Amble, Northumberland, and East Beach at West Bay, Bridport, Dorset, which was used as a filming location for the ITV drama Broadchurch.

The River Swale (Image: LIZ WHELAN)

The Government said the plans would increase the number of England’s official bathing sites to 464 beaches, coastal stretches, rivers and lakes.

Campaigners have welcomed the government’s announcement.

Deborah Meara, chair of Save Our Swale said: “We are really pleased that Defra has passed our DBWS application onto the next stage.

“Getting this far has involved a lot of hard work by our supporters and volunteer team, and we are grateful for all the hours, often spent in pouring rain, sampling at our test sites up and down the Swale.

“If SOS does finally achieve Designated Bathing Water Status, it will be an important benefit to the community, as the location is used by hundreds of people in the summer months, and they deserve to bathe in their local river without risk from raw sewage pollution.

“SOS’s work to clean up our river does not, however, end here. We will continue to fight for a cleaner river downstream of the Falls and campaign, alongside The Sewage Campaign Network, for the return of water to public ownership.”

Water minister Emma Hardy added: “Rivers and beaches are at the heart of so many communities, where people come together, families make memories and swimmers of all ages feel the benefits of being outdoors safely.

“Our plans to designate new bathing water sites show how we are backing local ambition and recognising the pride in places that matter most to people.

“This comes alongside this Government’s generational reform of the water system that will cut water pollution and clean up our rivers, lakes, and seas for good.”

The Government has reformed the designated bathing water system to bring in more flexible dates for monitoring to reflect when people are using sites, and to expand the legal definition of “bather” to include people taking part in water sports such as paddle boarders and surfers.

In 2025, 87 per cent of the country’s designated bathing sites were rated excellent or good, and 93 per cent met at least the minimum grade, but 7 per cent – 32 sites, around England, failed to meet minimum standards for water quality.

Previously, campaigners have raised questions about the safety and pollution of the River Swale in parts of North Yorkshire.

The River Swale (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Over the last two years, campaigners from the Save Our Swale group said that a stretch of the Swale poses a ‘significant health risk’ to humans and pets after data revealed that the water was over 100 times the threshold that it needs to be to swim in it safely.

Dr Keith Thomas, a citizen scientist for the group, found that the stretch of the Swale at Brompton contained a ‘worryingly high’ number of bacteria, including E.coli.

According to Dr Thomas’s data, water samples at Brompton contained an average of 101,000 coliform bacteria per 100ml of water – 100 times higher than the 500-1000 coliform bacteria threshold the Environment Agency requires for water to be considered safe to bathe in.

An Environment Agency spokesperson added: “We are determined to improve the quality of our waters and are holding the water industry, farmers and anyone who pollutes our rivers to account on a scale never seen before.

“The River Swale and its surrounding catchments are affected by several complex factors, and our team of specialist local officers works closely with others to address this challenge.

“This includes carrying out inspections of local sewage works and farms to ensure that they are compliant with their permits to prevent pollution from happening.

“Where there is evidence of non-compliance, we will not hesitate to pursue the companies or individuals and take appropriate action.