CALLING Whitmore Bay bathing water "excellent" is just Euro-speak.

It failed the new enterovirus standard in 2013 and failed in two samples (out of 20) in the 2014 season. It's little more than chance that it did not fail in four samples like Jackson's Bay, as the data show there's quite a chance (10-20 per cent) of finding sewage bacteria above the limit in each sample.

The Council excuse for not applying for a Blue Flag on account of the works on the eastern promenade last summer is also thin. The works didn't affect the main Beach and promenade, and all the Council had to do was put in evidence that the works were completed by the end of last year.

Mr Punter gives no data, but refers people to the "Wales Bathing Water Reports" produced by Natural Resources Wales. That's not easy to follow and does not give the sampling data that shows how frequently sewage bacteria were present.

However, it does predict on the basis of past data that Jackson's Bay is likely to fail the intestinal enterococci standard and Whitmore Bay has a 0.6 chance of failing it.

The worst consequence of covering up the Blue Flag water quality failure is that Barry is not in-line for improvements to meet the Bathing Water Standards. The NRW has action plans for other beaches failing the new enterococci standard, but not Barry's. Welsh Water has capital schemes in the five-year (AMP6) programme for upgrades of other sewage discharges, but not the Cog Moors discharge.

The Cog Moors sewage works was designed with too little capacity during high rainfall, when it discharges untreated or part-treated sewage via the Lavernock Point outfall. The Vale Council has been consenting many more houses in Barry and Wenvoe - and wants to approve large numbers more in Sully and Penarth - without regard to the inadequate sewage works.

They pass the problem to Dwr Cymru, who are happy to accept the sewage as long as no-one raise a fuss about the worsening sewage problem at Barry beaches. Is that why no fuss from the Vale Council?

Max Wallis

Barry & Vale Friends of the Earth