Ilkley gets green light for first river bathing site in UK
People enjoying the River Wharfe in Ilkley in summer 2020 THE River Wharfe in Ilkley is the first in the UK to gain bathing water status, the Government has announced today. The area of the river which runs between Ilkley Main Bridge and Beanlands Island will be added to the list of bathing waters in England from 2021. It follows a public consultation by DEFRA which ran from August 7 to October 2. It was prompted by an application from the Ilkley Clean River Group, who want to ensure the river - which can attract over a thousand people on sunny days - is fit to paddle and swim in.
Source: thetelegraphandargus.co.uk
