MULTIPLE beaches have been recognised as part of national awards celebrating the quality of water.
Keep Britain Tidy has announced its iconic Blue Flags for excellent water quality with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole scooping 12 awards in total.
A further 14 Seaside Awards have been given, which celebrate the quality and diversity of the coastline.
Sandbanks, in Poole, has now achieved the Blue Flag accolade for the 36th time, with Shore Road, Canford Cliffs and Branksome Chine also being honoured.
In Christchurch, Highcliffe Beach, Friars Cliff and Avon Beach were honoured for the second year in a row and in Bournemouth, Alum Chine, Durley Chine, Manor Steps, Fisherman’s Walk and Southbourne received the flags.
Anthony Rogers, BCP Council’s head of seafront, said he is “extremely proud” of the number of awards the council has received this year.
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He added: “Our teams work incredibly hard behind the scenes to care for the beaches we all love and enjoy.
"We are lucky to be the guardians of such a breath-taking stretch of coastline and it’s great to know that Keep Britain Tidy has given us their seal of approval.
“We are encouraging all visitors to help us stay award-winning by picking up their litter, leave only footprints and help us protect our environment for generations to come’.”
Blue Flags are only presented to well-managed beaches with excellent water quality and environmental education programmes.
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All the Blue Flag Awards-winning beaches across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole were also given Seaside Awards, along with Bournemouth Pier and Boscombe Pier.
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.”
BCP Council workers remove around 2,000 tons of waste each summer from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s seafront.
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