From an article in today’s Budleigh Journal it is clear that the Environment Agency (EA) believes that Budleigh beach will be among the ten or so beaches in Devon, out of nearly two hundred, likely to fail to meet the more stringent bathing water quality standards being introduced next year. If it is, then there will have to be “no swimming” signs posted along the sea front with devastating implications to tourism. Add to that the strong possibility of the free parking being withdrawn (see below) and Budleigh could be in real trouble.

It appears that water quality was excellent until about 2010 when something changed. Extensive monitoring of the beach and all the rivers and brooks that empty into the sea at Budleigh is ongoing.

What on earth could have changed in five years?