TOURISM leader John May has called for water tests at West Bay amid pollution fears over swimming waters.

He has demanded that West Dorset District Council keep track of water quality at East Beach, which is a bathing beach with lifeguard cover.

Mr May warns that since a shake-up of the harbour entrance any pollution is now more likely to end up on East Beach rather than West Beach which is on the other side of the quay.

Mr May is beach manager for West Bay, representing the Marine Conservation Society and the Good Beach Guide as well as tourism in the area.

He has written to council leader Robert Gould to call for action.

He said: “Water quality at West Bay’s West Beach has been monitored since around 1988, the assumption being that any pollution from the River Brit would wash up around west beach due to prevailing sea currents. “However, since the re-alignment of the harbour entrance in 2005, pollution is now more likely to finish up on East Beach. “East Beach is classed as a bathing beach, has lifeguard cover and thus requires a monitoring programme in addition to West Beach.”

Mr May also said that monitoring would be needed if the Broomhills site off the A35 was chosen as the location for a new waste transfer station.

He said that he would lobby the Environment Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to resist the Broomhills site until any monitoring system is in place.

He added: “West Dorset District Council’s flagship resort, Lyme Regis, has recently been nationally reported as a disgrace due to water quality.

“Yet the council appears to show little concern. “Will West Bay be next and does WDDC care?

Mr May also called for an update on the decision over the Broomhills site.

He also wants a report into silting problems and the need for annual dredging at West Bay despite a new harbour entrance being built at a cost of £18million.

District council community protection manager Graham Duggan said: “The water at West Bay’s West Beach is a designated bathing area and has been classified as high quality consistently since 2003.

“The water at West Bay’s East Beach is not a designated bathing area and is therefore not classified by the Environment Agency.

“The district council has no plans to designate the water at West Bay’s East Beach as a bathing area because of the of steep gradient of the beach and strong currents in the water.

“Should any pollution get into the water course at West Bay, it would be the responsibility of the Environment Agency to source the pollution and take action.”

A spokesman added about the dredging: “Due to the location, silting both from the river and from huge marine deposits and turbulent sea conditions has always been a problem at West Bay Harbour and always will be.

“As well as the overall scheme options, fourteen sub-options for the layout of the new outer harbour were considered by our consultants, HR Wallingford.

“As well as coastal defence benefits, the likely severity of silting was taken into account in the assessments.

“Silting and dredging levels were allowed for in the design of the new harbour structures.”