The owner of a unique sea exercise business says it will not survive the increasing number of sewage alerts off Falmouth's most prestigious Blue Flag Beach after 11 were issued in just eight days.

Jo Curd, who is also involved in the She Swims group, set up longecoteuk five years ago but fears the ever increasing number of sewage alerts on Gyllyngvase and Swanpool Beach will put her out of business, prompting her to write a despairing Tweet.

 

 

"I have been running the business for the past five years and the past five years would get three or four sewage alerts around this time of year at Gylly and Swanpool," she told the Packet. "So we'd end up at Maenporth but in the first eight days of September this year we have had 11 alerts. I didn't even know you could get more than one alert in a day. It's really so much worse than it's ever been before."

Jo Curd with her husband and members of her exercise group on Gylly Beach

Jo Curd with her husband and members of her exercise group on Gylly Beach

Longe-côte, which first originated in the north of France, is made up of walking, and performing static exercises, in the sea, with the water up to waist level. Jo was so inspired taking the classes while living there, she set up the first classes in Falmouth when her and her husband returned to the UK in 2017.

However she said she had already lost numbers to Covid and had only just been finding her feet again when she'd had to start cancelling classes again because of the number of sewage spills occurring between Gylly Beach and Swanpool.

"Around this time of year normally I'd have around ten and 12 people and last week, the first clear day in terms of sewage alert, three people cancelled on me that morning because they weren't happy to go in, which obviously I'm not going to say they have to, but it is really bad for business. If I'm relying on three people to make ends meet and three of them cancel on the morning of class that's it."

She says sometimes there is scum to the left of the beach towards Castle Beach and then sometimes scum to the right of the beach in the direction of Swanpool where the sewage outlet is and you can smell it.

Falmouth Packet: Paul ArmstrongPaul Armstrong (Image: Paul Armstrong)

She says recent changes to the rules on water companies being allowed to dump excess waste water on the seas and rivers has left her in despair. "Water companies aren't being held accountable and the CEO got £1.5 million bonus last year and all the shareholders are getting to what they need," she said. "Nothing's going to change. They're still getting the benefits of us paying the bills but not doing what needs to be done."

She says she has contacted South West Water and Falmouth and Truro MP Cherilyn Mackrory, but the only one to respond to her concerns was Labour councillor and prospective MP for Falmouth Jayne Kirkham.

Pennon Group, owner of South West Water, has just announced its full year results saying it has good momentum delivering on its strategy, providing ongoing support to customers and continued investment in protecting and enhancing the South West’s environment.

The company says it recently outlined the next stage in its Environment Strategy, WaterFit – accelerating and expanding plans to protect and enhance the South West’s water for future generations.

It says WaterFit will dramatically reduce the use of storm overflows, maintain the South West’s excellent bathing water quality standards all year round, reduce and then remove the company’s impact on river water quality by 2030.

Susan Davy, CEO of Pennon and South West Water, said: “We are doing more for customers than ever before as well as delivering the step change we all want for our rivers and seas, for the great South West, and for generations to come.

"With our largest ever environmental programme in 15 years, we are accelerating plans to make a step change in river and sea health, building on our track record of 100% coastal bathing water quality, with WaterFit, delivering a tangible difference to communities and customers in the region over the next 3 years, and with no impact on bills.”

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Despite voting against an amendment to stop water companies dumping sewage in the sea saying it was unworkable, Cherilyn Mackrory MP is calling on tougher penalties for companies which continue to dump waste in the sea.

Gyllyngvase Beach is a Blue Flag beach, a prestigious award given to beaches that have no industrial, waste-water or sewage-related discharges affecting the beach.

You can find out more about Jo's Longe-côte classes at www.facebook.com/longecoteuk