MP calls public meeting on pollution crisis at Kinghorn beach

Melanie Ward, MP for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy, has set it up after a recent meeting with senior representatives from Scottish Water and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA).

Kinghorn Beach was downgraded from ‘sufficient’ bathing water quality to ‘poor’ in 2021, a rating which it has failed to recover from. Kinghorn Beach was downgraded from ‘sufficient’ bathing water quality to ‘poor’ in 2021, a rating which it has failed to recover from. It is one of three bathing beaches in Scotland have to the rating, which is the worst possible.

Last month, water sampling results identified a 545 per increase in E. coli and a 120 per cent increase in intestinal enterococci, but it has significantly decreased since then. SEPA also issued a warning to beachgoers to avoid the stream from the Kinghorn Burn, as water testing revealed the quality to be “intermittently poor.”

In May, Ms Ward and Labour MSP Claire Baker launched the ‘Clean Up Our Coasts’ petition, backed by nearly 250 Kinghorn residents, demanding that more action is taken by Scottish Water to stop sewage water ending up on the beach.

The campaign comes after years of growing calls for action from residents and visitors vulnerable to illness due to the exposure of the contaminated bathing water at Kinghorn Harbour Beach.

The Labour politician has invited Scottish Water and SEPA to join residents at the open meeting to be held in the sports hall at Kinghorn Community Centre from 12:00pm to 1:30pm on Saturday, July 25.

The aim is to give the community an opportunity to hear directly about efforts of SEPA and Scottish Water to identify the root cause of the contamination, and about what the existing situation means for the future of water quality at the beach.

Ms Ward recently led senior figures from both organisations on a site visit to Kinghorn, following a meeting at Kinghorn Community Centre where she raised constituents' concerns and experiences of becoming ill after swimming.

Ms Ward said: "The community deserves to hear directly about what’s happening with Kinghorn beach. While I was glad to hear about the ask work being carried out to identify the root cause of the contamination, I know residents remain rightly frustrated by this ongoing situation with sewage on our shores.

"Nearly 250 residents have signed my petition calling for fresh action. Things have simply been not good enough for far too long. This meeting is about giving people transparency on action so far, and on what needs to happen next. I'd Kinghorn residents to come along, hear what’s being done, and have their voices heard."

Anyone who wishes to attend must RSVP to book their place at [email protected]