Hello Plymouth. We are a month away from bathing season officially starting in the UK and I’m campaigning for changes to bathing water regulations to give swimmers better peace of mind.

Devil’s Point and Firestone Bay was officially designated a bathing water by the government in 2023 after my 18-month campaign. Because of this bathing water status, the Environment Agency has a legal duty to test the water quality at Devil’s Point and Firestone Bay during the bathing season (mid-May to the end of September), as well as making the results publicly available.

Now, I’m calling for the water quality at Devil’s Point and Firestone Bay to be tested all year round, with bathing water status here extended to cover the full year. Lots of people swim at Devil’s Point outside of May to September, and this reform would be another step forward in improving swimmers’ peace of mind. 

To support my campaign, please do sign my petition below. 

I’m also proud to support the government’s work to clean up our seas, rivers and lakes, including tough new legislation that will see lawbreaking water bosses face prison time. Importantly, the government has secured £104 billion of private sector funding to upgrade our crumbling water infrastructure over the next five years – the biggest ever investment in our water system.