Communities across England could soon benefit from 13 new designated bathing spots, including two in the North West, Water Minister Emma Hardy announced yesterday (February 12). New sites will see England’s total bathing spots increase to 464, helping more people benefit from safer local places to swim, spend time with family and connect with nature.
The announcement comes as the Government focuses on delivering improved water quality for swimmers across the country. The Government has decided to expand the number of bathing sites across England and support water quality, with four in five bathing sites being rated as either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.
New Bathing Water Regulation reforms
Last year, 93% of England’s bathing waters met acceptable standards for swimming. The government’s new Bathing Water Regulation reforms came into force on 21 November 2025, designed to more closely reflect how people use our beaches, lakes and rivers.
The reforms include introducing greater flexibility in monitoring dates and ending the old rule that automatically removed a bathing water’s status after five consecutive ‘Poor’ ratings. Now, when a site is struggling, regulators will look at the issues affecting water quality and, where possible, work towards realistic options to improve it. The new Bathing Water Regulation reforms also include a third reform, which will look at new criteria for bathing waters, which will come into force in May 2026, to allow guidance to be fully developed.
Proposals for 13 new designated bathing spots in England – and locals can have their say
Local communities are being invited to have their say on proposals to designate 13 new bathing water sites, as part of a six-week public consultation. They include new rivers and coastal waters that are already popular with swimmers, reflecting growing public interest in outdoor swimming and connecting with local blue spaces. Being designated can also bring wider benefits for local areas – from boosting tourism to strengthening community pride in much-loved rivers and beaches.
The consultation follows applications submitted in 2025 and comes alongside planned reforms to modernise the bathing water system, ensuring it is fit for today and reflects how people use rivers and beaches. Following the consultation, the government will consider responses before confirming which sites will be designated ahead of the 2026 bathing water season.
Which sites in England are being proposed as new bathing spots?
The proposals include the first-ever designated bathing spot on the River Thames in London, which marks a vast transformation in water quality across the river. From it being declared “biologically dead” in the 1950s, to now being a place of national pride.
Other proposed sites would represent the first designated bathing waters in counties including Berkshire, in the area which inspired the Wind in the Willows; and Cheshire, where bathing traditions date back to the Romans. The Cheshire location would be situated at Sandy Lane in Chester by the River Dee, and the other North West site includes the east of New Brighton Beach in Merseyside – both of which are just a short drive from Manchester.
The sites under consultation are:
- Little Shore, Amble, Northumberland, a crescent of sand between the River Coquet and the North Sea popular with locals
- Newton and Noss Creeks, Devon, a narrow tidal inlet just off the River Yealm in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
- Canvey Island Foreshore, Essex, a unique family favourite sandy beach.
- Sandgate Granville Parade Beach, Kent, shingle beach enjoyed by swimmers, and kayakers.
- Queen Elizabeth Gardens Salisbury, Wiltshire, one of Salisbury’s most cherished parks opened in the early 1960s to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
- East Beach at West Bay, Bridport, Dorset, filming location for the iconic ITV drama Broadchurch.
- Pangbourne Meadow, Berkshire, a meadow and river in the area that inspired The Wind in the Willows
- River Fowey in Lostwithiel, Cornwall, a scenic tidal river, flowing through the heart of the town
- River Swale in Richmond, Yorkshire, with dramatic waterfalls over limestone steps
- Falcon Meadow, Bungay, Suffolk, a riverside community space on the River Waveney
- River Thames at Ham and Kingston, Greater London, which could become London’s first river bathing site on the Thames
- New Brighton Beach (East), Merseyside, a sandy seaside resort at the mouth of the Mersey Estuary
- River Dee at Sandy Lane, Chester, Cheshire, a popular spot for families and water
sports