Heacham beach ‘may never be safe for swimming’, council hears

It may never be safe to swim at a “poor” beach in Norfolk as water quality issues continue to cause concern, a councillor said.

The beach at Heacham near Hunstanton has been classified as poor by the Environment Agency since 2021, with the cause of the problem being disputed among experts and locals.

After another “poor” result, Sandra Squire, cabinet member for environment at West Norfolk Council, admitted the coastal waters off Heacham may always have high levels of pollution.

Studies suggest 60% of the intestinal enterococci (IE) bacteria recorded in human and animal waste may be coming from seabirds, which visit The Wash in huge numbers throughout the year.

IE is the main bacteria causing the problems at Heacham, which is found in human and animal waste and, if ingested, can cause severe stomach upsets.

Scientists are yet to gather a full picture of the sources of poor water quality at Heacham, but sewage leaks/outfalls, agricultural run-off and dog waste are all cited as contributing factors.

Squire told a full council meeting that seabirds may always cause issues at Heacham.

“Sooner or later we may have to admit, if 60% of pollution is coming from the bird population, it may be that this area should not be for bathing,” she said.

While DNA evidence suggests seabirds are a major cause, bacteria levels are highest in July and August, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Squire suggested that increase could be due to numerous factors, ranging from increased tourism, less or more rainfall or due to birds breeding.

To better understand the problems, she called for year-round testing at Heacham, as currently it is only conducted in the summer months.

The meeting heard that Anglian Water has said its sewage works was nearing capacity and would not be able to cope with any more housing development.

Squire said: “If Anglian Water said they cannot cope, then nothing else should be connected to that sewage works.

“We all know what happens when they can’t cope – we end up with sewage in our streets, our rivers and seas.”

The Environment Agency told the BBC: “Pollution comes in many forms and from multiple sources, and the Environment Agency will continue to investigate poor water quality.”