A beach in Penarth has received official status as a bathing water site, thanks to a campaign run by keen outdoor swimmer and local events director, James Tennet. The 35-year-old, who lives in the seaside town, began swimming outdoors at the start of lockdown.
He initially used Penarth beach before turning to neighbouring waters in Barry, which he discovered was a designated site. He said: “I'd seen one or two people swimming [in Penarth], but not many. So I tried to do a bit of digging about what the water quality was. And that's when I realised it wasn't a designated bathing water.
“There was no record or any tests of the [quality of the] water going on. From digging, it took me to the Natural Resources Wales website, which shows you where all the designated bathing waters are - I realised there were three in Barry. So because of that, for quite a while, I was swimming in Barry more than Penarth, for peace of mind and knowing what the water quality was. But for me, obviously, being able to swim locally will be much easier. I'll be able to do it a bit more often.”
