Harrogate MP launches new water quality campaign for the Nidd in link-up with Lido owner

Mr Jones is calling for a stretch of water at the Lido – a public footpath which runs along the banks of the Nidd where many people swim – to be designated as a Bathing Water Quality Area.

If the new campaign proves successful, it would mean that the Environment Agency would need to monitor the quality of the water and work with other stakeholders to put in place plans to improve it.

“River water quality is affected by a number of factors,” said Mr Jones.

"If our sewerage system is overloaded or blocked then safety valves called Combined Sewer Overflows empty into our rivers.

"These were installed in Victorian times but are operating more frequently now as we get more extreme weather and put more blockage-causing wet wipes and fat down our toilets and drains.

“But there is also run-off from agricultural land which carries pesticides and animal waste into the water and chemical pollution that occasionally happens – most recently an unidentified spill into Oak Beck.

"Exacerbating this is the water draining from impermeable land on new housing estates which should have better on-site water storage.

“So it is going to be a team approach to fix the water quality and it is great to have Meridian Parks putting their weight behind the campaign.”

Mr Jones is writing to residents and businesses near the banks of the Nidd to let them know about the campaign and enlist their support.

The opportunity to bid to be designated as a Water Bathing Quality Area comes after extensive surveys of swimmers and river users have taken place and those surveys must be undertaken between May 15 and September 30.

This means no application can be made before summer 2023.

In the meantime, Mr Jones will be enlisting the support of more residents and businesses in preparation for that application.

Frank Maguire owner of the 140-acre site added: “Our holiday homes are really popular among river swimmers and anglers.

"That’s one reason why we are backing this campaign.

"But it is also that we all need to protect and enhance our natural environment. Improving the water quality in the Nidd will benefit our guests and also the cafes, homes and businesses along the river’s length.

“The beautiful river setting is something our guests enjoy.

"It is part of their daily experience when staying in our holiday homes.

"That setting is enjoyed too by the many visitors to the Watermill Café and the serious and casual walkers who use the public footpath.

“Improving the water quality will benefit so many and that’s why we should all get behind this initiative.”

Last month saw Mr Jones raise the issue of action to improve water quality on the Nidd in the House of Commons.

Mr Jones’s intervention follows moves to win Bathing Water Status for parts of the Nidd after the alarm was sounded by Nidd Catchment Angling group in Darley who noticed what appeared to be pollution in the river.

A Parliamentary Committee reported recently that only 14% of English rivers currently meet good ecological status thanks to pollution from agriculture, sewage, roads and single-use plastics.