KEEP BRITAIN TIDY NEWS RELEASE
Keep Britain Tidy names England’s 147 award-winning beaches for 2013!
From Whitley Bay to Clacton, Margate to Torbay, England boasts some of the best and cleanest beaches in the world.
Today, Keep Britain Tidy is announcing the winners of the 2013 Blue Flag and Seaside Awards. In total 55 beaches have gained the Blue Flag and 113 have picked up the new Seaside Award (formerly Quality Coast Award).
These beaches have been rewarded for their fantastic facilities, cleanliness and, in the case of the Blue Flag awards, meeting the highest international standard of water quality.
Once again this year Thanet in Kent has claimed the title for the most Blue Flag beaches with eight, closely followed by Poole, Torbay and Bournemouth, which have four each.
The Isle of Wight boasts the highest number of flags in total with four Blue Flags and 13 Seaside Awards.
This year, the Blue Flag entrants had to meet an even stricter water quality standard to qualify for the coveted, globally recognised award and it is testament to the fantastic work being done to improve water quality around our coast that 55 beaches will still be flying a Blue Flag this summer.
Richard McIlwain, operations director of the charity Keep Britain Tidy, which is responsible for the Blue Flag and Seaside Awards in England, said: “It is fantastic news for everyone who loves visiting the seaside that 147 places will be flying a flag that guarantees the public the best facilities and the cleanest beaches this summer.
”Keep Britain Tidy campaigns to improve the quality of our local environment and we know that communities up and down the country love their beaches and understand what an asset they are for their towns’ economies. We also know that cleaner beaches can be a focal point for stronger communities. Holiday-makers and daytrippers want to visit clean, safe beaches and the sight of the Blue Flag or Seaside Award flying gives them the reassurance that they will.”
Click here to see the full list of awards for 2013.