Blackpool North beach is one of the beaches in England set to fail tough new EU cleanliness standards. Photograph: CHRISTOPHER THOMOND\/CHRISTOPHER THOMOND<\/p>\n
One in 20 English beaches which currently pass standards for cleanliness will fail tougher tests which come in next year, figures show.<\/p>\n
Almost all beaches (99.5%) in England meet the basic standards for clean bathing water, with just two spots failing to reach the mandatory grade this year: Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach, Dorset, and Staithes, North Yorkshire. <\/p>\n
But under tougher European standards which come into force next year, 5% of those beaches which are currently reaching the mandatory standards will be classed as poor, reducing the number achieving the required level of cleanliness to 94.5%. <\/p>\n
More than 20 beaches are projected not to make the grade, including Blackpool North and Blackpool Central, Lancashire and Seaton and East Looe in Cornwall. <\/p>\n
The bathing water statistics from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) showed the number of beaches which reached mandatory levels for cleanliness increased from 98.8% in 2013 to 99.5% this year in England. <\/p>\n
In Wales all beaches tested met the mandatory level of cleanliness, in Scotland 97.5% passed bathing water tests and 95.7% of beaches in Northern Ireland made the grade. <\/p>\n
The figures also showed that the proportion of beaches reaching existing higher guideline standards of cleanliness fell slightly in 2014. <\/p>\n
In England, 80.7% of beaches meet the higher grade, a slight drop on 83.5% in 2013. In Wales 88.1% of bathing spots achieved the higher standards, as did 55.6% in Scotland and 69.6% in Northern Ireland - where it fell from 87% the previous year. <\/p>\n
Water minister Dan Rogerson said: Water quality is improving and has now reached a record high, which means families across the country can make the most of what nature has to offer. <\/p>\n
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One in 20 English beaches will fail new EU cleanliness tests<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Blackpool North beach is one of the beaches in England set to fail tough new EU cleanliness standards. Photograph: CHRISTOPHER THOMOND\/CHRISTOPHER THOMOND One in 20 English beaches which currently pass standards for cleanliness will fail tougher tests which come in next year, figures show. Almost all beaches (99.5%) in England meet the basic standards for clean bathing water, with just two spots failing to reach the mandatory grade this year: Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach, Dorset, and Staithes, North Yorkshire. Continue reading