Bathing Water Designation 2026: Swing Bridge Llandeilo

Number: WG53958

Welsh Government
Consultation Document

Consultation launched: 2 February 2026
Consultation ends: 23 February 2026

Welsh Ministers must identify popular bathing waters in Wales, monitor their water quality, and keep bathers informed. The bathing season runs from 15 May to 30 September.

Each year, the Welsh Ministers are required to review and publish the list of designated bathing waters. In 2025, a six‑week consultation was held on identifying Swing Bridge in Llandeilo as a bathing water. Consultation responses and stakeholder views raised concerns about whether the application accurately reflected bather numbers — a key criterion under the Regulations.

Based on the applicant’s evidence and the consultation feedback, it was not possible to conclude that the regulatory test of a large number of bathers had been met. The application was therefore placed under review to allow additional evidence to be provided.

This consultation now seeks views only on the updated information submitted on bather numbers for the proposal to identify Swing Bridge, Llandeilo as a bathing water for the 2026 season under the Bathing Water Regulations 2013.

Please submit your comments by 23 February 2026.

Please respond to this consultation by filling out the questionnaire or answering the questions set out in the response form. Response forms can be submitted by:

Email: water@gov.wales 

Or 

Post: 

Water Branch (Bathing Water Consultation)
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff 
CF10 3NQ

Consultation and questionnaire on gov.wales.

If you have any queries on this consultation, please email water@gov.wales  

Large print, Braille and alternative language versions of this document are available on request.

Mae’r ddogfen yma hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg / This document is also available in Welsh : to be updated when live 

UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)

The Welsh Government will be data controller for any personal data you provide as part of your response to the consultation. Welsh Ministers have statutory powers they will rely on to process this personal data which will enable them to make informed decisions about how they exercise their public functions. Any response you send us will be seen in full by Welsh Government staff dealing with the issues which this consultation is about or planning future consultations. Where the Welsh Government undertakes further analysis of consultation responses then this work may be commissioned to be carried out by an accredited third party (e.g. a research organisation or a consultancy company). Any such work will only be undertaken under contract. Welsh Government’s standard terms and conditions for such contracts set out strict requirements for the processing and safekeeping of personal data.

In order to show that the consultation was carried out properly, the Welsh Government intends to publish a summary of the responses to this document. We may also publish responses in full. Normally, the name and address (or part of the address) of the person or organisation who sent the response are published with the response. If you do not want your name or address published, please tell us this in writing when you send your response. We will then redact them before publishing.

You should also be aware of our responsibilities under Freedom of Information legislation
If your details are published as part of the consultation response then these published reports will be retained indefinitely. Any of your data held otherwise by Welsh Government will be kept for no more than three years.

Your rights

Under the data protection legislation, you have the right:

• to be informed of the personal data held about you and to access it
• to require us to rectify inaccuracies in that data
• to (in certain circumstances) object to or restrict processing
• for (in certain circumstances) your data to be ‘erased’
• to (in certain circumstances) data portability
• to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who is our independent regulator for data protection.

For further details about the information the Welsh Government holds and its use, or if you want to exercise your rights under the UK GDPR, please see contact details below: 

Data Protection Officer:

Welsh Government
Cathays Park
CARDIFF
CF10 3NQ
e-mail: Data.ProtectionOfficer@gov.wales 

The contact details for the Information Commissioner’s Office are: 

Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Tel: 01625 545 745 or 
0303 123 1113
Website: https://ico.org.uk/ 

Purpose of the Consultation

Welsh Ministers must identify popular bathing waters in Wales, monitor their water quality, and keep bathers informed. The bathing season runs from 15 May to 30 September.

Each year, the Welsh Ministers are required to review and publish the list of designated bathing waters. In 2025, a six‑week consultation was held on identifying Swing Bridge in Llandeilo as a bathing water. Consultation responses and stakeholder views raised concerns about whether the application accurately reflected bather numbers — a key criterion under the Regulations.

Based on the applicant’s evidence and the consultation feedback, it was not possible to conclude that the regulatory test of a large number of bathers had been met. The application was therefore placed under review to allow additional evidence to be provided.

This consultation now seeks views only on the updated information submitted on bather numbers for the proposal to identify Swing Bridge, Llandeilo as a bathing water for the 2026 season under the Bathing Water Regulations 2013.

Current position

The Bathing Water Directive 2006/7/EC which put in place an obligation to identify bathing waters in the UK forms part of retained EU law in Wales. The Bathing Water Regulations 2013 specify the statutory requirements associated with the management of bathing waters in Wales.
The Regulations require Welsh Ministers to annually identify popular bathing areas in Wales. The objective of the Regulations is to protect bathers’ health and inform bathers of potential health hazards associated with poor water quality.  

There are currently 112 designated bathing waters in Wales. Once a bathing water has been designated, the water quality is tested by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to support the bathing season, which runs from 15 May to 30 September. Designated bathing waters are classified as excellent, good, sufficient or poor depending on water quality sampling results. The bathing water quality classifications are based on two microbiological parameters: intestinal enterococci and E.coli.

The results of individual designated bathing waters in Wales are published on the Welsh Government’s website at: 2025 bathing water classifications.

Bathing waters are valuable for the recreational opportunities they provide to the people of Wales, the local economy and tourism. The Welsh Governments’ Programme for Government makes a commitment to begin to designate Wales’ inland waters for recreation, strengthening water quality monitoring to enable inland waters to reach the same high standards achieved by Wales’ beaches.

Your name:    

Organisation (if applicable):

email / telephone number:

Your address:

Responses to the consultation may be published. Your response will be anonymous.
However, if you would like your name to be published alongside your response, please tick the box.

☐ I agree to my name being published alongside my response to this consultation.

Request to identify Swing Bridge Llandeilo as a bathing water

A request has been received from a member of the public, on behalf of River Tywi Bathers, for Swing Bridge, Llandeilo (National Grid Reference SN634225) to be considered for designation as a bathing water for the upcoming bathing season.

A full six week consultation on this proposal was undertaken in early 2025. This follow up consultation now seeks views on the updated evidence submitted for the proposal to designate Swing Bridge, Llandeilo as a bathing water for the 2026 season under the Bathing Water Regulations 2013.

Updated Evidence Provided in Support of the Designation Application

Bather Numbers 

The applicant undertook a user survey during the 2024 bathing season and a further survey during the 2025 season. In line with published guidance, both surveys were supported by photographic evidence to support bathing activity and bather numbers.

In 2024, the survey recorded 720 swimmers over 20 days. Concerns were raised during the public consultation regarding the accuracy of this data, and the applicant was therefore asked to repeat the survey in 2025, with stakeholders also invited to provide any evidence that challenged the site’s usage.

In 2025, the applicants new survey recorded 753 bathers across 20 days, with over 50 bathers recorded on 10 days, demonstrating that usage levels are broadly consistent with the previous year. Photographs were submitted to support the survey findings. The evidence provided identifies consistent site usage and indicates that the minimum eligibility criteria for designation have been met.

Further evidence provided

Facilities – The application provided information regarding facilities nearby the site, including, public toilets, parking nearby, and cafés.

Evidence of support - Evidence was provided on local consultation and support for the proposed designation from individuals, local groups, and businesses. A local public meeting was held 23rd August 2023 attended by more than 100 people, with the meeting being supportive of the application.

Question 1

Do you believe the bather number data provided gives a true picture of how the site is used?

☐ Agree 
☐ Disagree

Question 2

Based on your answer to Question 1, please explain why you agree or disagree with the bather‑number data presented. If you have any supporting evidence, please include it.

Question 3

Do you agree the evidence presented in the consultation covering facilities and community support is accurate and provides a sufficient basis for designating this site as a bathing water for the 2026 season? If you disagree, please explain why.

Question 4

What evidence and measures have you observed that identify and promote bathing at the site? (e.g., number of bathers, signage, website, social media, etc.). If you disagree with the evidence presented in the consultation, please explain why and include any supporting evidence.

Question 5

What is your view on the proposal, and what is the reasoning behind your opinion?

Question 6

A number of specific questions have been asked. If you have any related issues which have not been specifically addressed, please use this space to identify them:

Welsh Language

Question 7

We would like to know your views on the potential effects of the proposals on the Welsh language, particularly regarding opportunities for people to use Welsh and ensuring the language is treated no less favourably than English.

What effects do you anticipate, and how might these proposals be adjusted to enhance positive effects or mitigate any negative ones on the Welsh language?

Next steps following the consultation

All the responses to this consultation will be analysed and considered and the Welsh Government will publish a summary of responses.