Beaches fail bathing water standards because of wet summer

THE exceptionally wet summer weather has resulted in some of West Somerset’s most popular bathing waters failing advisory water quality standards.
Blue Anchor West and Dunster North West both failed to meet the ‘guideline’ standard which the beaches would be required to achieve to qualify for a Blue Flag award.
It follows one of the wettest summers on record which has led to many beaches around the Westcountry failing even the mandatory basic water quality standards.
The Environment Agency said heavy rainfall increased storm overflows from sewers, diffuse pollution, and run-off from farmland and urban areas.
This resulted in an increase in pollutants entering rivers and streams and flowing into some bathing waters around the coast.
According to the Meteorological Office, the period between May to September, when 20 water samples were taken from each of the bathing waters, there was more rain in the South West than anywhere else in England.
Environment Agency regional director Richard Cresswell said: “There is a direct link between rainfall and bathing water quality.
“We saw an extraordinary amount of rainfall during the summer and this caused an increase in the amount of pollution in some of the region’s bathing waters because of diffuse run-off, both from farmland and towns.
“Pollution is caused by, or attributable to, a number of sources.
“These include sewage from combined sewage overflows, which occurs when heavy or persistent rainfall can lead to the capacity of the sewage system being exceeded.
“There is also run-off from urban areas that is polluted with dog faeces or bird droppings and run-off from farms and fields carrying farm animal faeces.
“Our monitoring of bathing water quality identifies where improvements are required and helps in our understanding of the causes of failure.
“We will continue to work closely with the water companies, local authorities, the agricultural community, and others involved in the water environment to find solutions where bathing waters have failed to meet the required standards.”
The Environment Agency has been working with farmers to help tackle the issue of water pollution from agricultural land and has already called on the water industry to make appropriate investments in its infrastructure.
Poorly maintained and ageing sewage pipes are a key cause of water pollution, particularly during flooding.
Water companies must also ensure critical infrastructure, such as sewage treatment plans, are resilient to flooding to help prevent pollution.

• Our photograph shows the beach at Blue Anchor. Photo submitted.

Free frisbees for beachcombers as new online auction site is launched

BEACHCOMBERS were able to bag a bargain on Minehead seafront at the weekend as part of a promotion for MadBid.com, the UK’s new online penny auction which allows consumers to buy new retail goods at well below their normal price.
Madbid promotional staff spent Saturday morning handing out freebie frisbees with special voucher codes to people on Minehead beach and nearby.
The frisbees were promoting the fun new website at http://www.madbid.com/, which officially launched this month.
And they also contained vouchers for 10 free bids on the site valued at more than £10.
Madbid.com features premium retail products ranging from gadgets such as iPods, mobile phones, and laptops, to lifestyle products such as holidays and games consoles - often at a fraction of their retail cost.
Some recently closed auctions, for example, saw a Canon Ixus 70 plus kit sell for £2.23, a £100 Marks and SpencervVoucher fetch £1.86, and a Sharp 32-inch LCD television go for £4.33.

• Our photographs show some of the freebie Frisbee recipients. Photos submitted.

Borat-style beachgoers to promote new online auction site

STAFF from a new internet-based auction business will be storming the beach and seafront in Minehead on Saturday in mad-kinis (bikinis) and mankinis.
The stunt will be in honour of all things MAD, to hand out free frisbees to sunbathers and visitors to the area.
Yes, that’s right - mankinis... think Sacha Baron Cohen, aka-Borat (pictured) in the lime green suit that has wedgied its way into people’s long term memories.
The site in question is MadBid.com, an online penny auction which allows consumers to buy new retail goods at well below their normal price.
To promote the website, officially launched this month, the MadBid team will be wandering around the beach front handing out frisbees and vouchers for 10 free bids on MadBid.com - valued at more than £10.
The site features premium retail products ranging from gadgets such as iPods, mobile phones, and laptops, to lifestyle products such as holidays and games consoles, often at a fraction of their retail cost.

Steam train test as Britain's Strongest Man contest returns

HEAVYWEIGHTS from across the country will converge on Minehead sea front again next month to battle for the title of PartyPoker.com Britain’s Strongest Man 2008.
Last year’s champion, Terry Hollands, who is returning to defend his title, said: “I have been training hard and I am looking forward to the competition. I am definitely up for the challenge.
“It is great to be coming back to Minehead as it is a fantastic venue.”
This year, as well as lifting cars at the harbour and barrel loading on the beach, the organisers have set up a new challenge of pulling steam trains at West Somerset Railway’s Minehead station.
Terry Hollands said: “That really will be a test of strength.”
The event is sponsored by PartyPoker.com, produced by IMG Media, and supported by West Somerset Council.
It will be televised for Channel 5 and a series of programmes will be broadcast later in the year. Contestants will stay at the town’s Butlins resort.
Qualifying rounds lift off between June 7 and 9, with trials including tyre flips, chain drags, Atlas stones, and keg tossing.
The finals will be held on June 11 and 12 with the challengers lifting cars and pulling trains.
The presentation ceremony to announce the winner of this year’s Britain’s Stongest Man will be held on the beach.
District council economic development and tourism portfolio holder, Councillor Michael Downes, said: “We are delighted that Britain’s Strongest Man is returning to Minehead for a second year running.
“We are happy to support national competitions of this calibre in West Somerset.
“All of the events held on our land are free of charge and give a lot of pleasure to local people and tourists.
“The council are thrilled to bring this event back to West Somerset because of the boost it provides to tourism and our local economy.
“We wish the contestants the best of luck in this great challenge.”
For more information on the event, go to Britain’s Strongest Man website at www.theworldsstrongestman.com.

• Our photographs show (TOP) challenger Darren Sadler (MIDDLE) defending champion Terry Hollands, and (BOTTOM) challenger Ross Stone. Photos submitted.

Chance to have a say in how to manage global warming threat to coastal areas

RESIDENTS of West Somerset are being invited make their views known on the future of shoreline management.
The district council is looking at devising a plan to manage the risks and help protect more homes and businesses in future.
A consultation on behalf of the North Devon and Somerset Coastal Authorities Group (NDASCAG) is currently being run by the Environment Agency in an area stretching from Hartland Point, in Devon, to Weston-super-Mare, in North Somerset.
It is part of a review of a 10-year-old strategy for managing flooding and erosion along the coast due to be completed in 2010.
The management plan will provide large-scale assessments of flooding and coastal erosion and their associated risks, with options for dealing with the risks posed to people and the environment.
Former chairman of Exmoor National Park Authority, Humphrey Temperley, who is now the NDASCAG and also Wessex Regional Flood Defence Committee chairman, said: “The coastline is going to come under increasing pressure over the coming years from sea level rise and increased storms due to climate change.
“We need to plan now for changes in the future. It is important that local people take part in the consultation. This is their chance to have their say.
“Climate change and sea level rise pose significant challenges. The Government spends large amounts of money every year trying to minimise the risk of coastal flooding and erosion.
“Because of the diverse coastline, the same approach cannot be used in all locations and we have to develop approaches that are appropriate to the area at risk.”
The NDASCAG is currently compiling a list of people and organisations which might be interested in being involved with the consultation process.
The aim is to compile a list of these stakeholders and then send out further details to them of the next stage.
For more information and to register as a stakeholder online, people can visit the website www.ndascag.org.

• Our photograph shows a typical summer scene on Minehead beach. Photo submitted.