Identifying Bathing Waters - Bathing Water Review Panel
Scottish Ministers appointed Clean Coast Scotland in 2005 to establish the Bathing Water Review Panel. The Panel is tasked with identifying new bathing water sites and reviewing existing sites to determine whether they still meet the criteria of a designated bathing water. The Panel consists of representatives from the Association of Scottish Community Councils, CoSLA, Scottish Environment LINK, Keep Scotland Beautiful, Scottish Government, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage, Tourism Environment Forum and the Crown Estate.
During the 2005 bathing season, applications and appropriate evidence were received from the owner/operators of three sites that the Panel recommended to Ministers should be designated. These additional bathing waters - Broughty Ferry, Largs (Pencil Beach) and Longniddry - have been added to the list of designated sites for the 2006 bathing water season. No sites were de-designated. During 2006 this process was repeated and while no new sites were created, an existing site was split into two - Elie (Ruby Bay), Elie (Harbour) and Earlsferry - while three were delisted - Morar, Shell Bay and Turnberry.
The process was repeated in 2007. Applications received by the Panel led to the creation of three new bathing waters - Achmelvich, Leven and Kirkcaldy (Seafield). One site, St. Abbs, was de-listed.
The revised Directive will require from the start of the 2008 bathing season onwards the compilation and review of an annual list of bathing waters. It has still to be determined how this will be undertaken in practice and whether there will be a continuing role for the Panel in its current form. Proposals for identifying future bathing waters were consulted upon in 2007-08.