Swim campaign on beaches for EU Bathing Water status

29 July 2015

SCORES of swimmers are expected to take to the water on four local beaches this weekend as part of a growing campaign seeking better bathing waters along the Lecale coast.

The Big Swim and Paddle will take place on Saturday at Killough, Coney Island, Ballyhornan and Kilclief and is expected to be supported by a large number of bathers who are keen to see the beaches achieve EU Bathing Water status.

If the designation is given for the beaches the Department for the Environment will have to ensure sewage treatment is of a much higher standard.

The Big Swim and Paddle is being supported by six village communities along the Lecale coast. Ardglass Development Association has even laid on a 50-seater bus from Donard Park in Newcastle at 10.30am, and half the seats have already been taken by the Newcastle Sea Swimmers who are coming along to support the event.

The bus will travel from beach to beach encouraging people at each place to take the plunge — seats are available on a first come first served basis for anyone who does not want to join a convoy of cars.

The times have been staggered to allow people to go from beach to beach and follow the tide on Saturday morning. The schedule is:

• Killough Beach, 11.30am — beside car park on main street

•Coney Island Beach, 12.15pm — limited parking, share cars and park on main road

• Ballyhornan Beach, 1.15pm — below beach car park

• Kilclief Beach, 2.15pm — below beach car park.

The Strangford and Kilclief Residents Associations are organising soup and sandwiches for swimmers at the last beach at Kilclief about 2.30pm and will be ably supported by members of the Ballyhornan Development Association.

Village Associations in Killough, Coney Island, Ballyhornan and Kilclief have been running highly successful social media campaigns since their ‘mass paddle and swim-in’ campaigns last summer aimed at getting EU Bathing Water status for their beaches. They have been supported by village associations in Ardglass and Strangford.

Local people have been posting hundreds of family beach photos to the four village Facebook sites to prove the four villages regularly have over 100 people on their beaches during the summer bathing season to meet the EU criteria.

Councillor Cadogan Enright explained: “To qualify to EU bathing water status we need one picture a year with a minimum of 45 people in the water or 2 pictures of 100 people on the beach. Saturdays ‘Big Swim and Paddle’ is to give a big publicity boost to this year’s campaign ahead of nominating our local beaches later this year.

“We are looking for dozens of photos for every beach including hundreds of local people and visitors using our local beaches. Last year a fantastic 500 people turned out and we want to beat this figure this year on all four beaches.”

The villages have now gained funding through the Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership (SLLP) to pursue applications for the ‘Green Coast Award’ and for ‘EU Bathing Water Status’.

Caroline Nolan, from the SLLP, said her office is getting more and more enquiries about beaches on the Lecale Coast, with people wanting to find new ways to experience our coastal waters.

“Lecale’s Big Swim though is about families and people of all abilities just having some fun and supporting local people to get recognition for their fantastic beaches.”

links to village Facebook campaigns;

Killough; https://www.facebook.com/KilloughBeach?fref=ts

Coney Island; https://www.facebook.com/pages/Coney-Island-Beach-needs-EU-bathing-water-status/288703584645302?ref=hl

Ballyhornan; https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ballyhornan-Beach-needs-EU-bathing-water-status/477575295711515?ref=hl

Kilclief; https://www.facebook.com/Kilcliefneedseustatus?ref=hl

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