Cornwall’s beaches have once again triumphed with 15 announced as being worthy of an iconic Blue Flag or Seaside Award.
The announcement by Keep Britain Tidy, the organisation responsible for the awards in the UK, means that all 15 beaches have been awarded either one, or both accolades.
The internationally renowned Blue Flag quality mark for beaches is widely considered the gold standard and reassures visitors and residents that Cornwall’s beaches are clean, safe, and recommended, boosting tourism, business and helping inspire return visits.
Thanks to the hard work of local beach champions, businesses and councils working with Cornwall Council and sponsors Visit Cornwall, 15 beautiful beaches across Cornwall have received the award.
Those eight beaches, plus seven more in Cornwall, also received Seaside Awards, which recognise beaches in England that achieve the highest standards of beach management and water quality.
Portreath will once again be flying its Seaside Award flag together with Summerleaze in Bude, Porth near Newquay, Perranporth, Crackington Haven, Great Western in Newquay, and Sennen Cove, as well as all those that received Blue Flag status.
Blue Flags and Seaside Award flags, which are only given to coastal destinations that boast the highest qualities of water, facilities, safety, Keep Clean programmes, environmental education, and management, will be hoisted up this May.
Visit Cornwall, local businesses and councils have provided funding for Cornwall Council to make the applications for the awards.
Martyn Alvey, Cornwall Council portfolio holder for environment and public protection said: “It is fantastic to see that once again so many of our wonderful beaches in Cornwall have received these awards.”
“Everyone who lives here knows that our beaches are among the best in the world, and this proves it.”
“The beach champions, local businesses and communities whose hard work and dedication is so vital in gaining, and keeping, so many iconic Cornish Blue Flag and Seaside Awards, deserve a special vote of thanks.”
“They should all be rightly proud of these awards. I would also like to thank Visit Cornwall and all those local businesses and councils that have provided sponsorship for the award applications.”
Malcolm Bell, Chief Executive of Visit Cornwall, said: “Visit Cornwall is delighted to have been able to help secure these awards.”
“Cornwall is a wonderful place to live and a wonderful place to visit. These awards reflect the quality of our beaches and we hope both locals and visitors alike will make the most of these exceptional beaches.”
The Blue Flag programme was launched in 1987 and is owned internationally by The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), a non-governmental and non-profit organisation. Keep Britain Tidy administers the scheme in England. To be awarded a Blue Flag, beaches must comply with a number of criteria covering environmental education and information, water quality, environmental management, safety, and services.
The Seaside Award is run by Keep Britain Tidy and recognises and rewards beaches in England that achieve the highest standards of beach management and, in the case of bathing beaches, meet the required standards for water quality.