Keep Wales Tidy / Cadwch Gymru'n Daclus

Twenty years ago when the winners of the coveted Blue Flag award for top class beaches and marinas were announced, only one Welsh beach qualified to meet the strict international standards. Today comes the news that a record 45 beaches and five marinas have made the grade.

Beaches are judged against 30 criteria which include meeting the highest water quality mark, strict litter management, dog control, visitor safety and sustainable environmental ethics. Marinas will have met 16 land based criteria that will include adequate waste reception facilities, provision of life saving equipment and a written commitment to safeguard local environments

The Blue Flag was established in France in the late 1980s and currently operates in over 40 countries. It’s managed in Wales on behalf of the Denmark based Foundation for Environmental Education by Keep Wales Tidy.

Making a welcome return to the list are Cefn Sidan, Pendine, Llandudno West Shore, Criccieth, Amroth, Broadhaven North, Newport Sands and Barmouth. Previous winner Tywyn was not considered for the award due to ongoing infrastructure improvements. Pembrokeshire tops the list with 13 awarded beaches and marinas, followed by Gwynedd 8, Anglesey 7, Ceredigion 5, Swansea 5, Conwy 4, Carmarthenshire 2, Bridgend 2, Vale of Glamorgan 2 and one each for Denbighshire and Neath Port Talbot.

Lesley Jones, Chief Executive of Keep Wales Tidy commented. "Experts predict that due to the current economic climate more people will be choosing to spend their holidays in the UK. With a record number of beaches and marinas in Wales achieving Blue Flag status we are well positioned to announce that a trip to our coast will be a quality experience.

"Investments made by local authorities and Welsh Water over the past decade now give us the confidence to declare that we have a wide choice of beaches and marinas along our 750 mile coastline that have achieved the ultimate international quality status."

Environment, Sustainabilty and Housing Minister, Jane Davidson performed the Blue Flag unfurling ceremony in New Quay, Ceredigion, and presented flags to representatives of local authorities from across Wales.

She commented, "I am delighted that Welsh beaches and marinas have this year collectively accrued an impressive 45 Blue Flags, compared to 38 flags last year. This is an achievement we can all be proud of and is a demonstration of the excellent natural quality of Welsh beaches.

"The Blue Flags are also the result of a great deal of hard work by organisations and volunteers throughout Wales who help to maintain the high quality of our beaches and the waters around our coast.

"Our beaches really are a blessing and I would urge people across Wales to get out there and enjoy these natural and beautiful resources."

Lifeguards from The Royal National Lifeboat Institution were present at the ceremony with one of its boats on display.

Environment Agency Wales Director Chris Mills said: "We welcome the increase in the number of beaches in Wales achieving Blue Flag status. The high quality of our environment is crucial to the success of the local economy across Wales. Ensuring that our bathing waters meet the high standards set by the EC Bathing Waters Directive is a key priority for us in Environment Agency Wales. We have a range of initiatives underway where we are working with others to ensure that these high standards achieved for our most popular beaches are maintained in future years."

The award winning beaches and marinas for 2010 are:

Beaches

Marinas