Agenda item

Dan Taberner, Visitor Experience Lead at Severn Trent Water (STW), made a presentation on Access to Water.  Dan provided the background to water access on STW reservoirs and why STW want to increase managed water based activities.  Managed Open Water Swimming sessions and events have recently taken place at Carsington Reservoir, as well as the introduction of Paddlesports to Ladybower, which was launched in October 2023 and is affiliated with Paddle UK. 

Next steps to consider are to establish Carsington Reservoir as a swimming location, with several events, including potentially a triathlon, to take place in 2025.  The triathlon event may mean some road closures in the area.  Tourism and local businesses will benefit from such events, but they could cause problems for locals as a mass participation event will cause some disruption in the area.  Regular swim sessions are planned, which are seen as more of a benefit to the local community. and Carsington Resesrvoir aims to achieve Beyond Swim accreditation.  Tittesworth Reservoir and the Upper Derwent Valley are possible sites to allow managed swimming sessions and events, with unauthorised swimming still prohibited.

Summary of Discussion

It was acknowledged that managing water based activities is a challenge, but water companies are behind on facilitating public access to water from where they should be.  Access rights on land are well established.  There should be a similar level of access to water, with provision not just for experienced swimmers.

Dawn Biram, member of the public, was attending today’s meeting to input to this item and gave feedback on the swimming event she attended at Carsington.  There are a lack of facilities in and around the Peak District, which is an area some distance from the sea, for recreational water users and the different types of swimmers to access water.  It’s as natural for people to want to go into the water as it is for them to want to walk on moorland areas.  In Scotland water companies have to allow more access to water with messaging to highlight the dangers.

There is a risk that having more managed swims events could confuse users into thinking that all water access is authorised.  Carsington had been holding such events for a year, and haven’t noticed a change in the level of unauthorised swimming. 

Water companies are reluctant to allow more water based activities due to safety concerns.  The public walk along cliff edges and swim in the sea.  People do get injured, and there are some deaths, but should there be more concerns about people going into reservoirs.  There are hazards that can’t be seen in the water, and at recent events at Carsington some swimmers needed help to get out of the water.  The areas around reservoirs in the Peak District already attract large amounts of visitors.  Creating more access to water could increase these pressures.