Worthing bathing water update – monitoring results expected

Councillor Vicki Wells. Picture: Adur & Worthing Councils

Results from dozens of hours’ monitoring at two potential designated ‘bathing water’ sites in Worthing could be in by late winter, councillors have been told.

Worthing Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment, Vicki Wells, (Lab, Marine), said the application for areas at Goring Gap and Beach House could be submitted by October 31 to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

At a full council meeting on Tuesday, October 17, she said 33 volunteers had spent 88 hours gathering data and observations for applications.

She added: “I cannot underestimate the importance of this work and the efforts that have been made to get where we are.

“Defra inexplicably changed the criteria needed for the applications six weeks into bathing season, rendering 42 hours of observations redundant, so I’m hugely grateful to the residents and officers who adapted at speed to the new criteria.”

Bathing water areas are designed to improve pollution monitoring through extra protections. Worthing has one designation currently, at Heene Road.