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English beaches reach record water quality levels |
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| UK: November 7, 2001 | ||
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LONDON - Bathing water off England's beaches has achieved record quality levels, beating last year's European Union average by more than two percentage points, a government report said today.
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Environment Minister Michael Meacher told a news conference: "The enhanced reputation of our beaches will give a much-needed boost to our tourism industry." Ninety-eight percent of water at English beaches complied with a European Commission Directive's main mandatory tests for the 2001 season, against 95 percent in 2000, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said in a report. Jose Stanton from Tidy Britain Group said: "The majority of people rank a clean beach and water as the highest priority in choosing a coastal destination." Results for the whole of the UK also showed a record high of 95 percent compliance with the mandatory tests but this was still lower than last year's EU average. Meacher said he was particularly pleased by the results for the Blackpool area, where for the first time all nine beaches passed the tests. The failure of Blackpool's beaches to comply had led to an action being brought by European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom. Meacher said: "I am especially pleased at the 100 percent pass rate along the Blackpool Fylde Coast and can confirm that Commissioner Wallstrom proposes to withdraw the infraction action relating to those bathing waters." A successful action would have led to a fine of 70,000 pounds per day until the waters passed the mandatory tests.
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REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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