A popular swimming spot along the river Avon in Bristol could soon be cleaned up after thousands signed a petition. Labour councillors in Bristol City Council appeared to back calls to scrap a rule banning swimming in the river, which could lead to the spot getting cleaner.
Swimmers can often be seen in the summer at Conham River Park, despite swimming technically going against a council byelaw, which bans swimming in the harbourside and the river Avon. But raw sewage is sometimes dumped into the river, which can cause illnesses.
Campaigners gathered outside City Hall on Tuesday, October 18, in swimming costumes to demand the council drop this byelaw, and presented a petition to a full council meeting. The Conham Bathing group said their application to the Environment Agency, to get bathing water status for Conham, needed the approval of the council as the landowner.
