A campaign by Luke Pollard MP to make Devil’s Point and Firestone Bay an official bathing water has taken another step forward, with over 6,500 swimmers and other water users counted at the beach across June as part of the application.
A total of 80 local people volunteered to count swimmers for a two-hour shift, delivering the month’s worth of usage data required for the bathing water application. If made an official bathing water, the Environment Agency would have to regularly test that the water there is safe for swimmers, as well as making the results publicly available.
Volunteers counted 4,775 swimmers and 1,781 other beach users at Devil’s Point across June. There were eight two-hour sessions where over 100 people were counted in the water, with an average of 218 water users were spotted each day.
Hundreds of volunteer hours were filled across June, with local people coming out to count swimmers from 8am to 8pm. Some enjoyed a picnic on the beach, others got a tan, some needed an umbrella!
Luke said the high turnout of users and volunteers shows that the area is ‘incredibly special and deserving of bathing water status.’
Now, Luke is asking Plymothians to submit anecdotal evidence about their use of Devil’s Point, required by the Government for the next stage of the application. This could be ‘memories of relatives swimming there for generations or a personal reflection on what Devil’s Point means to you.’
Arguing that swimmers deserve ‘peace of mind’ about water quality, Luke launched the Devil’s Point campaign in January following reports of regular raw sewage discharge in Britain’s seas and rivers. A total of 1000 Plymothians signed his petition, which he presented to Parliament in March 2022, to make Devil’s Point an official bathing water.
Luke said:
“Devil’s Point is a special part of our city. With the ongoing sewage scandal, I want it to be designated as an official bathing water so that the water is regularly tested and our swimmers can have the peace of mind that it’s safe to use.
“June was all about tallying how many people use the beach, and I was bowled over by the army of volunteers who came forward to help. The numbers of swimmers far exceeded my projections and certainly proved that this stretch of water is well-used and popular. Thank you to everyone who came out in support.
“I’m now calling for Janners to share their stories about Devil’s Point and Firestone Bay to help prove this special stretch of water has a history of use. That could be memories of relatives swimming there for generations or a personal reflection on what Devil’s Point means to you. Please do get in touch if you have stories to share.”
Archie Simpson, a local resident and Plymouth University student who volunteered for two shifts, said:
“I’ve been amazed at how many young people have never heard of Devil’s Point – and making it an official bathing water would help protect and promote the area. I wasn’t a sea swimmer before I started volunteering, but I want to encourage more people to take the plunge at Devil’s Point.”
Anecdotal evidence can be submitted to luke.pollard.mp@parliament.uk by July 29.
