Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy has announced the winners of the prestigious Blue Flag and Seaside Awards for summer 2023.
Fylde Council is delighted that St Annes Pier Beach has again met the standard required to achieve the Seaside Award.
to the best beaches in England and celebrate the quality and diversity of our coastline. The beaches are assessed against certain criteria including:
- Safety and services
- Environmental management, including litter and waste
- Water quality – winners must meet the ‘sufficient’ standard
- Environmental information including displaying details about local eco-systems
“We continue to work with United Utilities and our stakeholders to improve the bathing water standards across the Fylde coast whilst continuing to meet and exceed the awards criteria.”
The Blue Flag and Seaside Awards are aimed at improving the quality of England’s coastline and promoting the country’s best beaches.
These awards provide reassurance to the public that beaches are delivering a safe, clean, and well-managed space for them to enjoy. 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.
Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said: “Visitors to 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 is the world’s most recognised award for beaches and marinas and, to qualify, each applicant must meet and maintain a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility criteria.
“We’d therefore like to recognise and applaud all those who have worked so hard to protect and improve some of our best-loved and most popular beaches. The collective efforts of beach managers, volunteers, residents and businesses all contribute to the success of these sites in achieving the incredibly high standards demanded.”
Water quality testing is carried out in England by the Environmental Agency weekly during the bathing season from May to September.
Before heading down to the beach, the public is advised to check the Environment Agency’s Swimfo website to check for any pollution risks as a result of rainfall, wind or high tides.
Blue Flag is an international award managed by Keep Britain Tidy on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- Keep Britain Tidy is a leading environmental charity that cares for the environment on your doorstep. We work to eliminate littering, reduce waste and improve public space. We run programmes including Eco-Schools, the Green Flag Award for parks and green spaces and the Blue Flag/Seaside Awards for beaches. To find out more about Keep Britain Tidy, our programmes and campaigns visit keepbritaintidy.org.
- The beach is among 128 in England granted Seaside Awards and 78 sites, including one marina, awarded Blue Flags.
Press enquiries
Contact the Keep Britain Tidy press office:
helen.bingham@keepbritaintidy.org
Keep Britain Tidy Mobile: 07768 880016
