England’s cleanest coastlines for 2019 are revealed with 71 beaches awarded Blue Flag status, including Cleethorpes and Exmouth
- Keep Britain Tidy administers the Blue Flag and Seaside Award schemes in England for beaches in the country
- The Blue Flag shows the beach has excellent facilities, is litter free and has a high standard of water quality
- One of the most well-known beaches to have been stripped of its Blue Flag status this year is Blackpool South
England’s cleanest beaches for 2019 have been revealed with Brighton and Whitby among those making the list.
This year, a total of 71 beaches have been awarded Blue Flag status – up from 65 last year.
The Blue Flag is a guarantee to visitors that the beach has excellent facilities, is litter free and has achieved a high standard of water quality.
ENGLISH BEACHES AWARDED BLUE FLAGS FOR 2019
East Midlands
- Ingoldmells South
- Central Beach, Mablethorpe
- Central Beach, Skegness
- Central Beach, Sutton on Sea
- Cleethorpes Central
East of England
- Cromer
- Sea Palling
- Sheringham
- Mundesley
- East Runton
- West Runton
- East Beach Shoeburyness
- Shoebury Common
- Thorpe Bay
- Three Shells Beach
- Dovercourt Bay
- Brightlingsea
North East
- Tynemouth Longsands
- King Edwards Bay
- Whitley Bay
- Sandhaven Beach
- Roker
- Seaburn by the Sea
Yorkshire
- Whitby
South West
- Blackpool Sands
- Poole, Sandbanks Peninsular
- Poole, Shore Road
- Poole, Canford Cliffs
- Poole, Branksome Chine
- Alum Chine
- Bournemouth Manor Steps
- Durley Chine
- Fisherman’s Walk
- Southbourne
- Carbis Bay
- Gyllyngvase
- Porthmeor
- Great Western
- Porthtowan
- Trevone Bay
- Widemouth Bay
- Sandy Bay
- Exmouth
- Challaborough Bay
- Croyde Bay
- Swanage Central
- Dawlish Warren
- Teignmouth Town
- Breakwater Beach
- Broadsands
- Meadfoot Beach
- Oddicombe Beach
- Preston Sands
- Torre Abbey Sands
- Westward Ho!
- Weymouth Centra
South East
- Brighton Central
- Hove Lawns
- Tankerton
- Marina St Leonards
- Hayling Island Beachlands
- Sheerness Beach
- Minster Lea
- Minnis Bay
- West Bay
- St Mildreds
- Botany Bay
- Margate Main Sands
- Stone Bay
- Westbrook Bay
- West Wittering Beach
- Source: Keep Britain Tidy
A view of the promenade, beach and pier in Cromer in Norfolk, which has managed to retain its Blue Flag status
Whitby beach, pictured, is the only beach in Yorkshire to be awarded a Blue Flag in 2019. The Blue Flag is a guarantee to visitors that the beach has excellent facilities, is litter free and has achieved a high standard of water quality
And Blue Flags are only given to beaches whose local authority has promised to run a minimum of five educational activities for the local community and visitors to make people aware of the importance of looking after the natural environment.
This year’s results were announced today by Keep Britain Tidy, which administers the Blue Flag scheme in England, and the winners will be presented with their flags at a ceremony in Margate.
Well-known beaches retaining their Blue Flags for another year include Cromer in Norfolk, Thorpe Bay in Southend-on-Sea, Tynemouth Sands in North Tyneside, Margate, West Wittering, Sandbanks in Poole and Westward Ho! in Devon.
Beaches making it on to the list this year after missing out last year are Cleethorpes, Westbrook Bay in Margate, Bournemouth Manor Steps, Exmouth, Croyde Bay, Teignmouth Town, Broadsands, Preston Sands and Torre Abbey Sands.
Several beaches in the Poole area won Blue Flags. These include Sandbanks, pictured, Shore Road, Canford Cliffs, and Branksome Chine
Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, Allison Ogden-Newton, said: ‘Visiting beaches with the Blue Flag or Seaside Award status means beach-goers can feel more relaxed in a setting that is environmentally considerate.’ Pictured is Porthtowan beach in Cornwall, which has Blue Flag status
One of the most well-known beaches to lose its Blue Flag status this year is Blackpool South. Others that lost their flag this year include Southwold Pier in Suffolk, Leysdown Beach off the Isle of Sheppey and Polzeath Beach in Cornwall.
In addition, 137 beaches across the country were also given Seaside Awards, which recognise the highest standards of beach management and, in the case of bathing beaches, indicate that they meet the required standards for water quality.
Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, Allison Ogden-Newton, said: ‘Visiting beaches with the Blue Flag or Seaside Award status means beach-goers can feel more relaxed in a setting that is environmentally considerate.
‘We’re incredibly pleased to have even more winners this year than last, proving the great dedication of the beach staff.
Blue Flag beaches have to run a minimum of five educational activities for the local community and visitors to make people aware of the importance of looking after the natural environment. Pictured is Blue Flag status beach West Wittering
Swanage beach in Dorset has achieved Blue Flag status for another year. This year’s results were announced by Keep Britain Tidy, which administers the Blue Flag scheme in England
Tynemouth Longsands was one of six beaches in the north east to get Blue Flag status. The others included King Edwards Bay, Whitley Bay, Roker, Seaburn and Saltburn by the Sea
‘From environmental education for the local community and ensuring responsible beach use, to cleaning regimes and an increasing number of recycling facilities, it is a full-time commitment to create beaches worthy of the awards.
‘Thanks to the Blue Flag, visitors can be reassured their destination is cared for and they will be able to help maintain the high standards of these awards thanks to their environmental initiatives.’
Meanwhile research from Keep Keep Britain Tidy has revealed that 74 per cent of those under the age of 35 say they are ‘triggered’ with guilt when they go to the beach and see plastic litter.
Almost two thirds (60 per cent) experience eco-anxiety when seeing tourist destinations littered with plastic and no sustainable facilities to dispose of it, the study showed.
Research from Keep Keep Britain Tidy has revealed that 74 per cent of those under the age of 35 say they are ‘triggered’ with guilt when they go to the beach and see plastic litter. The picture shows Sea Palling Beach – a Blue Flag recipient
According to Keep Britain Tidy the newly dubbed ‘Attenborough Effect’ is contributing to cleaner public spaces, with more than half (54 per cent) of people saying the nature documentaries fronted by Sir David Attenborough have encouraged them to personally clear up discarded litter. Pictured is Brighton’s Blue Flag beach
And Keep Britain Tidy says the newly dubbed ‘Attenborough Effect’ is contributing to cleaner public spaces, with more than half (54 per cent) of people saying the nature documentaries fronted by Sir David Attenborough have encouraged them to personally clear up discarded litter.
The research also shows that Brits are a generation of eco-worriers, with 80 per cent saying they would feel more relaxed spending the day at a beach that has recycling bins and signs encouraging people not to leave anything behind.
A huge 88 per cent of all respondents said that their eco-anxiety is lessened by knowing hundreds of beaches in the UK are following and implementing programmes that encourage responsible beach use.
SEASIDE AWARD WINNERS FOR 2019
East Midlands
Cleethorpes Humberston Fitties
Cleethorpes Marine Embankment
East of England
Hunstanton Main
Wells-next-the-Sea
Chalkwell Beach
Jubilee Beach
Thorpe Bay Beach
Three Shells Beach
Shoebury Common Beach
East Beach, Shoeburyness
Brightlingsea
Dovercourt Bay
Clacton on Sea (Martello Tower)
Frinton on Sea
Walton Albion
Walton The Naze
Harwich
Kessingland
Lowestoft South of Claremont Pier
Southwold
North East
Tynemouth Longsands
King Edwards Bay
Whitley Bay
Sandhaven Beach
Seaton Carew Central
Roker
Seaburn
Yorkshire
Bridlington
Bridlington
Wilsthorpe
Fraisthorpe
Danes Dyke
South Landing
Hornsea
Withernsea
Filey
Runswick Bay
Cayton Bay
Sandsend
Robin Hoods Bay
Scarborough North Bay
Whitby
North West
Morecambe North
Morecambe South
St Annes Pier
Ferry Beach, Fleetwood
Marine Beach, Fleetwood
Jubilee Beach, Cleveleys
Rossall Beach
Bispham
Blackpool North
Blackpool Central
Blackpool South
South East
Worthing Beach
Bognor Regis East
Littlehampton Coastguards
Saltdean
Reculver
Herne Bay
Tankerton
Marina, St Leonards on Sea
Pelham Beach
Sandgate Beach
Leysdown Beach
Minster Leas
Sheerness Beach
Botany Bay
Dumpton Gap
Joss Bay
Louisa Bay
Margate Main Sands
Minnis Bay
Ramsgate Main Sands
Ramsgate Western Undercliff
St Mildreds Bay
Stone Bay
Walpole Bay
West Bay
Westbrook Bay
Viking Bay, Broadstairs
Shanklin
Sandown
Seagrove
Springvale
West Wittering
South West
Bournemouth Pier
Boscombe Pier
Alum Chine
Bournemouth Manor Steps
Durley Chine
Southbourne
Fishermans Walk
Branksome Chine
Canford Cliffs
Shore Road
Sandbanks
Avon Beach
Friars Cliff Beach
Highcliffe Beach
Carbis Bay
Crackington Haven
Gyllyngvase
Great Western
Perranporth
Polzeath
Porth
Porthtowan
Porthmeor
Porthminster
Sennan Cove
Trevone Bay
Widemouth Bay
Crooklets
Summerleaze
Exmouth
Seaton (Devon)
Sidmouth Town
Budleigh Salterton
Challaborough Bay
Croyde Bay
Berrow
Coryton Cove
Dawlish Town
Ness Cove
Swanage Central
Breakwater Beach
Broadsands Beach
Meadfoot Beach
Oddicombe Beach
Maidencombe Beach
Goodrington Beach
Paignton Beach
Preston Sands
Torre Abbey Sands
Ansteys Cove
Westward Ho!
Weymouth Central
Source: Keep Britain Tidy
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