Ryde Council To Consider Year-Round Sea Safety Information

Ryde Town Council is considering plans to provide year-round information about sea safety and water quality.

Councillors will consider a motion calling for better access to information about the risks and conditions around Ryde’s coastline.

The proposal comes after Councillor Michael Lilley was taken to hospital with an infection he believes was caused by swallowing seawater, following a near-drowning incident off Appley Beach in August.

The motion says water users can face risks including tides, currents and cold water, while water quality can change after rainfall, pollution incidents and sewage discharges.

It notes that official bathing-water monitoring is seasonal and that non-designated waters are not routinely monitored for bathing-water quality.

The council is being asked to develop a year-round approach to sharing water safety and quality information, while promoting existing services including the Environment Agency’s Swimfo and the Safer Seas and Rivers Service from Surfers Against Sewage.

The motion also proposes exploring the creation of a volunteer water-quality monitoring group in Ryde, working with charities, the Environment Agency and academics.

Councillors are due to vote on the proposals at a meeting from 7pm at the Methodist Church on Garfield Road.