River Nidd bathing water status: Half-baked announcement will sadly not be the saviour for our treasured River Nidd

Responding to the government announcing the River Nidd at the Lido Leisure Park in Knaresborough being considering as a new bathing water site, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough Tom Gordon said: 

“It is deeply disappointing that under the government’s bathing water plans, Yorkshire Water will still be able to dump sewage into the River Nidd. 

"In the past two years, 400,000 hours of sewage have been discharged in bathing water sites, which doesn’t make me too hopeful despite today’s announcement. 

“It is clear that years of pressure from the Liberal Democrats in Harrogate has led to the government acting, but Conservative Ministers need to get far tougher on Yorkshire Water. "Instead of holding water companies to account and demanding improvements, the Conservatives have spent the last few years sounding as though they are working for Yorkshire Water's PR department.

“This half-baked announcement will sadly not be the saviour for our treasured River Nidd. Let's change that at the next General Election."