80 beaches to fly Blue Flags with pride this summer

Keep Britain Tidy has today announced the winners of the prestigious Blue Flag and Seaside Awards for summer 2022.

In total, 151 beaches in England have been presented with an award recognising the quality of the beach, the way it is managed and the facilities it offers to visitors.

The Blue Flag is an international award and this year 80 beaches have met the high standard required.

Two of them - Sandbanks in Poole and Oddicombe in Torbay, Devon - have scooped the award every year for 35 years, making them some of the best beaches in the world.

Three others - Avon Beach, Highcliffe and Friars Cliff in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area - achieved the accolade for the first time.

One marina – the Royal Albert Dock and Salthouse Dock in Liverpool - was also awarded.

And an impressive 128 beaches are proudly displaying Seaside Awards, including 57 beaches that have received both Blue Flag and Seaside Awards.

Dymchurch beach in Kent won a Seaside Award for the first time this year.

A full list of England’s award-winning beaches is available here.

Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said: “The success of these beaches in reaching the very high standards demanded is testament to all those who have worked so hard to protect and improve our blue spaces – from beach managers and volunteers to local residents and businesses. The huge commitment needed to maintain marvellous beaches worthy of these awards cannot be underestimated.

“People who visit a beach flying a Blue Flag or Seaside Award can be assured the beach will be clean, safe and meet the highest environmental standards, as well as international bathing water quality standards.”

The Blue Flag and Seaside Awards are aimed at improving the quality of England’s coastline and promoting the country’s best beaches.

Blue Flag is an international award managed by Keep Britain Tidy on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education. It is only presented to well-managed beaches with excellent water quality and environmental education programmes, while Seaside Awards are presented to the best beaches in England and celebrate the quality and diversity of our coastline.

Among the criteria beaches are assessed against are:

• Safety and services, such as first aid, lifeguards where necessary
• Environmental information including displaying details about local eco systems
• 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.
• Environmental management, including litter and waste

These awards are the only way for the public to be assured that beaches are delivering a safe, clean and well-managed space for them to enjoy but our coast is a natural environment and water quality may vary, particularly after heavy rainfall when the advice from the World Health Organisation is to refrain from entering the water for 24 hours.