Councillor Gordon Stewart, Northumberland County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Safety, is pressing the Government to introduce statutory responsibilities for reducing open water risks to members of the public.
The urgent call comes in light of National Water Safety Forum (NWSF) figures revealing how many people have died from accidental water-related incidents across the UK.
With the majority of these tragedies occurring at inland locations such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and ponds, Councillor Stewart has highlighted the severe ongoing risks posed by accessible inland bodies of water scattered across the nation.
Councillor Stewart said:
“Every drowning is one too many. Great swathes of landlocked water, such as ponds and lakes across the country, can be easily accessed by members of the public. We need a clear, statutory framework and centralized support to ensure these risks are properly managed, rather than leaving local areas to tackle what are in the main preventable tragedies in a piecemeal way”
- Data shows that a significant portion of fatalities involve individuals—such as walkers or runners—who never intended to enter the water, emphasizing that open water hazards threaten everyday public footpaths and open spaces.
This is not a seasonal problem during the summer months it is everyday of the year - Local authorities and safety organisations currently lack a unified, mandatory legal obligation specifically targeting open water risk reduction for the public, prompting calls for Westminster to bridge the gap.
- The above along with many groups formed locally following a death, do a good job but a legally responsible body with teeth to change and improve is now vital.
I do not want to Government to just ‘dump’ the responsibility onto local authorities, or charities.
This has to be properly constituted and well funded with a clear vision and responsibility.
Notes
RLSS CLICK HERE
National water safety Forum CLICK HERE
ROSPA CLICK HERE
NFRS CLICK HERE
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