Protest against smelly sewage pollution on Cleethorpes beach

Over 140 protestors will demonstrate against sewage pollution on Cleethorpes Beach this weekend.

The event has been dubbed ‘Big Wave 2: This Time it’s Smelly!’

Organisers held a Reclaim the Wave event as part of national initiative in October 2022 and protestors are now taking further action with a demonstration at 9am on Sunday, March 26.

An event on Facebook shows over 140 will be attending the event at Brighton Slipway and, as the tide comes in, everyone will do a big Mexican wave.

Caroline Carr, one of the organisers of Sunday’s protest, told The Lincolnite she is concerned by the “big increase in sewage alerts on Cleethorpes beach last year”.

She said: “We want to send a message to our local councillors, Anglian Water, and local MP to say ‘what are you doing locally?’.

“Action needs taken sooner than the ‘by 2050’ being promised by government to make our waterways clear.”

She added that a number of organisations, protestors, paddle boarders, Extinction Rebellion representatives, councillors, cold water swimmers, families, children, and dogs will be in attendance. There will also be a poet reading about the Humber and the sea, people dressing up, and drumming and music.

Caroline is also concerned that North East Lincolnshire Council does not have Blue Flag status this year.

In response, a council spokesperson said: “Cleethorpes is a hugely popular destination and we take pride in making it one of the best seaside resorts on the East coast.

“We’ve had Blue Flag status in the past and it’s a standard we strive for, but factors that affect water quality are out of our control.

“Bathing water for the main beach in Cleethorpes was rated ‘good’ by the Environment Agency. It needs to be rated ‘excellent’ when making a Blue Flag application.

“As a resort at the mouth of the Humber, the second largest estuary in the UK, Cleethorpes can be affected by events happening upstream and sometimes in other major rivers such as the Don, Ouse and Trent, which all flow into the Humber and the North Sea.

“We actively monitor water quality and we display up to date information about it at our Resort Management Hub on Central Promenade.”

Speaking during a banner-making session earlier this month, Les Bonner invited as many people as possible to join the demonstration.

He explained how concerned locals will be protesting about the amount of sewage being dumped into the water and spilling the beach and the water for everyone who uses it.

In a statement issued to The Lincolnite, an Anglian Water Spokesperson said: “We recognise that storm overflows are no longer the right solution when sewers become overloaded with rainwater.

“We’ve been dealing with storm overflows for years, tackling those which pose an environmental risk and working through the rest.

“Between 2020 and 2025, we’re reinvesting more than £200 million to reduce storm spills across the East of England and as part of our Get River Positive commitment we’ve promised that storm overflows will not be the reason for unhealthy watercourses in our region by 2030. And we’re working towards eliminating all serious pollutions by 2025.

“Our focus on protecting the environment remains resolute – we’re ahead of schedule delivering our £800 million programme of investment to benefit the environment. We know there’s no room for complacency, and we’re absolutely determined to make meaningful progress towards achieving our zero pollutions goal.

“The bathing water in Cleethorpes is currently classified as Good for bathing water quality.”

The Environment Agency has not received any reports of sewage in the bathing waters at Cleethorpes.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “It is the Environment Agency’s responsibility to monitor, assess and classify bathing waters and to provide bathing water profiles, as well as passing on information on bathing waters to the public. Cleethorpes is currently classed as ‘good’ and all Lincolnshire’s Bathing Waters are either ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’.

“Overall, bathing water quality has improved over the last decade due to targeted and robust regulation from the Environment Agency and the work carried out by others. However, there is much more to be done to ensure cleaner and healthier waters for people to enjoy.”

The Lincolnite also contacted Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers for a statement but hadn’t received a response by the time of publication.

---

MyLocal Lincolnshire is the new home of The Lincolnite. Download the app now.