In total 144 sites - made up of 142 beaches along with a marina and an inland bathing water - have been presented with awards recognising the quality of the sites, the way they are managed and the facilities they offer to visitors.
76 beaches across the country met the high standards required for a Blue Flag award - the world’s most recognised award for beaches, marinas and inland bathing waters, including newcomer Blyth South Beach in Northumberland.
A further 120 beaches are proudly displaying Seaside Awards, including 54 that have also achieved the Blue Flag too.
Royal Albert Dock and Salthouse Dock marina in Liverpool and Rutland Water Sykes Lane in the East Midlands - which became the first inland water to qualify for the awards last year - will also be flying a Blue Flag, with the inland water also achieving a Seaside Award.
Two beaches - Sandbanks in Poole and Oddicombe in Torbay, Devon - have received the Blue Flag award every year since it was launched in England in 1987.
In order to qualify, each applicant must meet and maintain a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility criteria.
Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said: “As an island community, the quality of our beaches and blue spaces is crucial to our environment and vital for our economy, particularly in terms of tourism and employment.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of Keep Britain TidyAs an island community, the quality of our beaches and blue spaces is crucial to our environment and vital for our economy, particularly in terms of tourism and employment.
"Achieving this accreditation shows the commitment of beach managers and local authorities to protect them for years to come.
“In England we are lucky enough to have some of the best beaches in the world. It’s wonderful to see the flags flying proudly over 142 of them, demonstrating their quality to residents and visitors alike.
“The awards are a credit to the collective efforts of beach and site managers, volunteers, residents and businesses who should take pride today in their tireless efforts to maintain and improve some of our best-loved and most popular blue spaces.”
The Blue Flag and Seaside Awards are aimed at improving the quality of England’s coastline and blue spaces and promoting the country’s best beaches.
Blue Flag beaches are free for all to enjoy, with visitors able to experience the same quality as destinations like Spain or Trinidad and Tobago without the environmental impact - or price tag - of flying.
Blue Flag is an environmental education programme managed by Keep Britain Tidy on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education.
Among the criteria beaches are assessed against are:
- Safety and services such as first aid, and lifeguards where necessary
- Environmental information, including displaying details about local ecosystems
- Environmental management, including litter and waste
- Water quality – Blue Flag beaches must meet the ‘excellent’ water quality standard as set out in the EU bathing water directive and Seaside Award winners must meet the 'sufficient’ standard.
Blue Flag is only presented to beaches and inland bathing waters with bathing water which has achieved the highest classification as set by the EU Bathing Water Directive and have an environmental education programme, while Seaside Awards are presented to the best beaches in England and celebrate the quality and diversity of our coastline.
*originally published 13/05/2025*
View the winners list here.