England has only one other river with designated bathing status, a stretch of the River Wharfe at Ilkley, West Yorkshire, which was rated “poor” for water quality after tests in January found evidence of human and animal bacteria. 

The tests were the first since the Ilkley site was granted bathing status in 2020, after efforts by local campaigners who hope it will lead to the waters being cleaned up.

The Government is under pressure to improve the quality of England’s rivers, after a report by MPs found none were free from a “chemical cocktail” of sewage, slurry and plastic pollution that is putting human and animal health at risk.

Rebecca Pow, the environment minister, said: “It is great to see people getting involved in efforts to increase the number of designated bathing sites and I encourage local residents and swimmers to take part in these consultations so we can have as many views as possible to inform our final decision.”

Claire Robertson, the Thames21 Oxford Rivers Project officer who submitted the application, said: “It’s self-evident that such a well-loved and well-used site should have water quality testing to help people enjoy the river safely and healthily.

“It’s even more self-evident that raw sewage discharges should not happen anywhere near this site, for peoples’ health, but also for the many wildlife species that live in this stretch.”