Penarth beach gets new outdoor showers on the seafront

The Vale of Glamorgan Council has opened two outdoor showers at Penarth beach.

The beach is one of eight official bathing waters in the Vale and is a popular destination for local swimming groups including the famous Dawnstalkers.

New showering facilities at Penarth beach come in at a cool £10,000

As part of a wider programme of works to enhance the coastal resort, £10,000 of the Vale Council’s Annual Coastal Infrastructure Capital Budget was spent on building the new showering facilities.

Located opposite Penarth RNLI Lifeboat Station, the showers will be open for use around the clock.

The new showers at Penarth beach (Image: Vale Council)

Cllr Mark Wilson emphasised the importance of the seafront on the community (Image: Vale Council)

Councillor Mark Wilson, Cabinet member for Neighbourhood and Building Services emphasised the importance of the seafront on the community.

“The Vale’s beaches play a vital role in supporting wellbeing and cohesion within our communities," said Cllr Wilson.

“We were delighted to see Penarth beach named as a designated bathing water in 2022 and have since seen an increase in popularity among swimmers.

“I hope the new facilities enhance the experience of sea swimmers and beach goers for years to come.”

In May, Surfers against Sewage held a ‘paddle-out protest’ at Penarth beach against Welsh Water over concerns about the water quality of Wales' coast and rivers. 

In July, one of Penarth Dawnstalkers' founders Grant Zehetmayr dscribed how he was concerned he got a mouthful of sewage in a free swim at the beach.

Also in July, Natural Resources Wales downgraded Welsh Water to a two-star rating following a further decline in environmental performance.

Wales' largest water company say they take environmental responsibility very seriously, working tirelessly to deliver improvements required in challenging circumstances