Blackpool North is a large, sandy beach opposite the Blackpool Tower between the North
and Central Piers. The sea defence behind this beach is approximately five metres
high and runs the entire length of the bathing water.
Alongside the Fleetwood Sewage Treatment Works improvements, the Manchester Square
Pumping Station and the Bloomfield Road storage tanks in Blackpool were upgraded in
2010. Further work providing additional storm sewage storage at Fleetwood Sewage Treatment
Works and the Bloomfield Road storage tanks was completed in 2015 which has helped
improve bathing water quality at Bispham.
As part of the improvement programme of work for United Utilities (from 2015 to 2020)
further work has been completed to reduce the impact of storm discharges from the
Anchorsholme, Manchester Square and Chatsworth Avenue Pumping Stations and improve
bathing water quality on the Fylde coast in Lancashire.
In 2015 Harrowside outfall pipe was replaced with a new, longer pipe that can deal
with larger flows of storm water 1km out to sea.
In April 2018 work was completed in the Marton Moss area to reduce the amount of surface
water (rainwater) entering the sewer network. Removing surface water from the system
creates more space for foul sewage and hence reduces the number of spills from the
Manchester Square and Chatsworth Avenue outfalls. Surface water connections in the
area were identified and have now been redirected to a new surface water pumping station
(Magnolia Pumping Station). The surface water is then pumped out to sea via Harrowside
Outfall. Additional drainage basins (mostly dry, green open spaces) have been created
to store surface water during heavy rainfall. To ease the amount of water going through
the combined waste water network during heavy rainfall an underground storm water
tank has been constructed at Fishers Field to store excess storm water until it can
be treated.
The Anchorsholme scheme was completed in 2019. Phase one of the Anchorsholme scheme
was the construction of a 30 metre deep storm tank to hold 12,000m3 of untreated stormwater
until it can be treated. Phase two involved the relocation of the pumping station
from the headland to the park so that new structures could be built to screen and
control what flows in and out of the pumping station and the third phase was building
a 3.7km long outfall pipe which discharges the excess screened storm water further
out to sea.
The programme also requires that storm overflows close to bathing waters have equipment
installed to monitor spills to the environment. This will help to identify where bathing
water improvements may be needed in the future.
This bathing water is included in the Surfers Against Sewage “Safer Seas Service”.
This service can alert you to Combined Storm Sewer Overflow discharges via a phone
App and in addition, it includes the Environment Agency Pollution Risk Forecast warnings
where they are available. Further details of the service can be found at - http://www.sas.org.uk/safer-seas-service/
and via United Utilities website at http://www.unitedutilities.com/Bathing-Waters-Map.aspx.
The discharge from Talbot Square overflow was closed in 1996. There are no discharges
from this overflow.
There are a number of water company assets along the Fylde coast which can affect
Blackpool North’s bathing water quality. The Environment Agency has worked closely
with United Utilities since the 1990s to make significant improvements to the sewerage
infrastructure around Blackpool North bathing water. Sea Change, a £500 million coastal
clean-up project, was launched in 1994 by the Environment Agency in conjunction with
United Utilities, to improve bathing water quality in the North West, particularly
along the Fylde Coast. Under this programme in the Blackpool area United Utilities
made improvements by constructing a tunnel to provide storage for storm discharges
and transferring flows from four coastal pumping stations serving the Blackpool area
to a new sewage treatment works at Fleetwood. Large storage tanks have also been built
at Fleetwood Sewage Treatment Works, together with large storage tanks in central
Blackpool to reduce the storm overflows.
The Environment Agency can use a DNA identification technique to help show whether
sources of pollution are of human or animal origin. In 2012 this method was used at
Blackpool North. The findings confirm that both human and animal sources can impact
on bathing water quality. This has helped target Environment Agency investigations
and identify improvement actions.
In 2011 the Environment Agency surveyed the catchment around Blackpool North to identify
sources of contamination. Where significant issues were found these have been investigated
and improvements made where needed.
The Blackpool promenade has highway and surface water drains which flow onto the beach.
These are not known to cause a decline in bathing water quality.
For the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, seaweed (macroalgae)
was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being
present on 79% of visits. This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts
of seaweed (macro algae).
Modern sewerage systems have two separate systems, one takes foul sewage to sewage
treatment, the other takes rainwater runoff through surface water drains to rivers,
lakes and the sea. Misconnections occur when waste water pipes are plumbed into surface
water drains instead of the foul water sewerage system. This can give rise to pollution
when the waste water is discharged directly to the environment through the surface
water drain. For example, a washing machine or toilet may be incorrectly plumbed so
that it discharges to the surface drain rather than the foul sewage drain.
The Environment Agency have worked with 3rd year BSc Marine Biology students from
Blackpool & Fylde college on a collaborative project to obtain detailed sample results
from small outfalls on the Blackpool coast to assess water quality and direct action
as necessary.
For the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, phytoplankton
(microscopic algae) was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but
was observed as being present on 5% of visits. This bathing water can be affected
by occasional blooms ofPhytoplankton (microscopic algae) which are not harmful, but
can result in the water appearing discoloured or a foam forming on the water.
The risks to human health from contact, ingestion or inhalation with marine algae
that currently occur in UK coastal waters are considered to be low. However, some
individuals may be more sensitive and display some reactions.
A common marine algae found in UK coastal waters is Phaeocystis, which is often mistaken
for sewage as it forms foam and a brown scum, but it is non-toxic.
This bathing water is subject to short term pollution procedures. The Environment
Agency makes a daily pollution risk forecast at this site based on the effects of
rain, tide, sunlight and seasonality on bathing water quality. These factors affect
the levels of bacteria that get washed into the sea from livestock, sewage and urban
drainage via rivers and streams and how they disperse.
When these factors combine to make short term pollution likely we issue a pollution
risk warning on this website and the beach manager will display a sign advising against
bathing at the bathing water. After a short term pollution event, levels of bacteria
typically return to normal after a day or so but it’s possible to have several warning
days in a row. Details of the work to reduce the sources of bacteria at this bathing
water are detailed in this profile.
In 2023 78 pollution risk warnings were issued for this bathing water.
All bathing waters have the potential to be affected by a pollution incident and if
this occurs a pollution risk warning will be issued with associated advice against
bathing on this website.
A step change improvement in water quality has been identified from 1st May 2015 at
Blackpool North due to improvements made to United Utilities assets. Bathing water
quality monitoring samples collected prior to this date shall not be used for classification.
United Utilities upgraded Fleetwood Sewage Treatment Works in 2010. This has improved
the sewerage system on the Fylde coast by reducing storm and emergency overflows to
the sea improving bathing water quality.
Environment Agency samplers make observations of litter present on the beach at every
visit, this includes assessments of sewage debris, litter and tar. At Blackpool North
for the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, sewage debris
was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being
present on 4% of visits. Litter was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable
for 2% of visits, with 74% of visits noting the presence of litter. Tarry residue
was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being
present on 5% of visits.
Wyre Rivers Trust focussed their Tidal Wyre Project, in collaboration with Unitied
Utilities and Environment Agency, on farms that have benefitted from on-farm interventions
to reduce pollution risk. Interventions such as fencing, roofing slurry stores and
dirty water seperation have been applied and continue to be installed.
In July 2014 a toilet facility on Blackpool North Pier was reported to be leaking
onto the sand below the pier structure. Following action taken by the Environment
Agency it was mended in August 2014. Further issues with the sewage infrastructure
under the pier were identified in 2019, the Environment Agency worked with the pier
owners and the Local Authority to resolve these issues.
The ‘Call of Nature’ campaign was run by Morecambe Bay Partnership with the support
of the North West Catchment Partnerships, which resulted in the development of user
friendly materials to educate private sewage treatment plant owners into maintenance
requirement and ways to identify causes for concern. Materials were developed as printed
documents but also available on the web and mobile friendly web page at http://www.callofnature.info/
The bathing water sits on Lancashire's north west coastline. It is flanked by urban
areas with agricultural land dominating further inland. Most surface water in the
catchment is diverted away from the bathing water.
Seaweed (macroalgae) and phytoplankton (microscopic algae) are a natural part of the
marine and freshwater environment. Below we note whether these have been recorded
in quantities sufficient to be a nuisance.
The majority of sewers in England are “combined sewers” and carry both sewage and
surface water from roofs and drains. A storm overflow operates during heavy rainfall
when the sewerage system becomes overwhelmed by the amount of surface water. The overflow
prevents sewage from backing up pipes and flooding properties and gardens. An emergency
overflow will only operate infrequently, for example due to pump failure or blockage
in the sewerage system.
Heavy rain falling on pavements and roads often flows into surface water drains or
highway drains, ending up in local rivers and ultimately the sea. The quality of bathing
water may be adversely affected as a result of such events.
It is the Environment Agency's role to drive improvement of water quality at bathing
waters that are at risk of failing higher standards. It is natural for water to run
off the land to the sea. Water quality at a bathing water is dependent upon the type
and area of land (the catchment) draining to the water and the activities undertaken
in that catchment.