Westcliff beach loses Blue Flag status, due to water quality concerns

Westcliff Bay beach in Southend has lost its coveted Blue Flag status following a water quality downgrade from “Excellent” to “Good.”

The decision comes after routine water testing raised concerns about pollution levels.

Blue Flag Status and Its Importance

The Blue Flag is a prestigious international award given to beaches and marinas that meet stringent environmental, safety, and water quality standards. To qualify, bathing waters must consistently achieve an “Excellent” rating.

Following a recent assessment, Westcliff Bay’s downgrade has resulted in the loss of the award, sparking community concerns about the state of Southend’s coastal waters.

Sewage Spills and Water Quality Concerns

The downgrade has reignited debates about sewage spills and their impact on Southend’s beaches. Local residents and environmental campaigners have voiced their frustrations over the situation.

Local resident Bernie Kerr urged others to take action, saying: “Please write to the chief executive of Anglian Water, your MP, and anyone else you can think of. Anglian Water is failing to meet its targets while continuing to issue huge bonuses to shareholders. I’m doing the same to get the River Crouch cleaned up.”

Another local, Simon Mudd, expressed skepticism about the beach’s previous Blue Flag status: “Water quality at Leigh and Westcliff has always been poor. I’m surprised it was ever awarded a Blue Flag. Swim at East Beach, Shoeburyness.”

However Stephen Marks highlighted a different perspective: “I’d prefer the sewage going into here than all over the streets. Yes, they could build more treatment works to stop overflows, but this will come at a cost to us all and put thousands of extra lorries on the roads.”

MP and Anglian Water Respond

Southend West and Leigh MP, David Burton-Sampson, expressed his disappointment:

“We were aware there was a possibility Westcliff Beach could lose its Blue Flag status due to water quality testing during 2023, and I’m disappointed this has now happened. This highlights the importance of all stakeholders working together, coordinated through our Water Quality Summits, to ensure all our beaches achieve the year-round excellent standard we expect and deserve. This is our steadfast commitment.”

A spokesperson for Anglian Water acknowledged the downgrade:

“We are disappointed Southend’s Westcliff Bay bathing water has been downgraded from ‘excellent’ to ‘good’ this year. We’re carrying out investigations into the surface water network nearby to determine whether it impacted this result.”

The spokesperson also highlighted ongoing efforts to improve water quality in the area:

“We’re already working in partnership with local authorities, MPs, and campaigners in Southend through our regular Water Summits. As part of this work, we have committed to year-round bathing water testing and conducted a detailed overflow audit in collaboration with Southend Council and Southend Against Sewage.”

Anglian Water further emphasized the importance of the Marine Parade Sustainable Water Management Scheme:

“This project, in partnership with Southend Council, the Regional Flood Coastal Committee, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities, aims to alleviate flooding and reduce storm overflow usage by managing surface water more efficiently.”

The Way Forward

The loss of Westcliff Bay’s Blue Flag status serves as a wake-up call for stronger collaboration between stakeholders, ongoing water quality monitoring, and long-term infrastructure improvements to protect Southend’s coastline.