16 May 2011
With summer on its way, what better way to spend the long, hot days than on one of Wales’s beautiful beaches? Visiting your local seaside resort will save you money and reduce airmiles, and there are plenty to choose from.
A number of beaches and marinas across Wales have been recognised by Keep Wales Tidy for their cleanliness, with a guarantee to visitors that venues are litter free, have excellent facilities and have achieved a high standard of water quality.
This year, the environmental charity has awarded the coveted Blue Flag Award to 41 beaches and five marinas. Pembrokeshire once again tops the list, winning 13 flags, followed by Gwynedd 8, Anglesey 7, Ceredigion and Swansea 5, Bridgend and Vale of Glamorgan 2, and one each for Conwy, Denbighshire, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot.
In addition to this, 46 beaches have won the Green Coast Award with Anglesey leading the way with 16 flags, and Pembrokeshire winning 13, Swansea 5, Ceredigion, Conwy and Gwynedd 4.
A total of 104 seaside venues have also won the distinctive yellow and blue Seaside Award with 55 awarded to ‘rural’ beaches and the remaining 49 beaches classified as ‘resort’.
Lesley Jones, Chief Executive of Keep Wales Tidy comments:
"I am delighted that Wales’s beaches are yet again being celebrated. With so many beautiful venues on our very doorstep, this is the perfect opportunity for Welsh holidaymakers to stay at home, boosting the local economy and tourism industry. I hope that we can continue to enjoy our natural surroundings by working together to maintain these high standards of cleanliness."
Chris Mills, Director of Environment Agency Wales, adds:
"Ensuring that our bathing waters meet the high standards set by the EC Bathing Waters Directives is a key priority for us at Environment Agency Wales. Here in Wales we have a fantastic environment, which we must continue to protect and further improve. At 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 for future generations."
The Blue Flag was established in France in the late 1980s and currently operates in over 40 countries. It is managed in Wales, on behalf of the International Foundation for Environmental Education, by Keep Wales Tidy. 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. View the list of Blue Flag beaches here.
The Green Coast Award gives recognition to beaches that have demonstrated the highest environmental standards, have top quality bathing water but do not have the built infrastructure necessary to meet land based criteria set for other national and international beach awards. Emphasis is also placed on local community involvement in the ongoing and long term care of the award beach. This will include the removal of litter, identifying sites of ecological and historical interest to ensure that their beach maintains its status as a quality destination. View the list of Green Coast Award beaches here.
Beaches selected for the Seaside Award will have attained the European Union standard of bathing water quality and will have satisfied the judges that the standard of the built infrastructure, the applicants’ environmental aspirations and overall beach management meets the high standard expected by the discerning visitor. View the list of Seaside Award beaches here.