Bathing Water Designation and De-designation in England

Designated bathing waters are coastal or inland waters that are used by large numbers of bathers and have facilities to promote and support bathing as set out in the Bathing Water Regulations 2013.

This year, four new sites were designated and one de-designated, taking the total number to 424, the highest ever. 93% of bathing waters were classified as good or excellent last year, up from 76% in 2010.

Today, my Department is publishing updated guidance on how to apply for both bathing water designation and de-designation for this and future bathing seasons, making it easier for applicants to understand.

The main changes to the designation guidance are:

There must be at least 100 bathers a day at the site during the bathing season.

Applicants must carry out user surveys on two days during the bathing season to provide evidence of this.

There must be access to toilet facilities within a short distance up to 500 metres of the proposed bathing water site.

Clearer guidance on seeking local views on proposals to designate sites as bathing waters.

The introduction of an application form to make it easier for people to prepare their applications.

Local authorities and landowners should contact Natural England for advice on managing bathing waters in protected sites, including ensuring any necessary consents, assents or licences are obtained from Natural England as appropriate. Bathers should comply with any local byelaws.

For de-designations the changes are the same except toilet facilities are not a requirement and a site must be used by an average of fewer than 100 bathers a day during the bathing season.

Applications for bathing water designation and de-designation in 2024 must be submitted to Defra by 31 October this year. My officials will consider all applications against the revised guidance and will continue to run a public consultation on those selected as candidate sites.

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