FIFTEEN beaches across Cornwall have been awarded the coveted Blue Flag or Seaside Award. 

Seaside Awards are presented to the best beaches in England and celebrate the quality and diversity of the coastline. 

The Blue Flag is only presented to beaches with water that has achieved the highest classification, as set by the EU Bathing Water Directive, and that have an environmental education programme. 

Of the 15 announced, eight beaches have been awarded both Blue Flag and Seaside Award status for 2024. They are: Crooklets in Bude, Gyllyngvase in Falmouth, Polzeath, Porthmeor and Carbis Bay in St Ives, Porthtowan, Porthmissen/Trevone, Padstow and Widemouth Bay.

A further seven beaches owned have also received Seaside Award status for this year.  

This includes: Crackington Haven, Bude, Great Western, Newquay, Porth, Porthminster, St Ives, Portreath, Sennen Cove and Summerleaze, Bude.

Cllr Martyn Alvey, portfolio holder for climate change and environment at Cornwall Council, said: “Cornwall has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and I’m delighted that we have received these much-deserved accolades. 

"We are grateful to our tenants, our partners Biffa and Cormac, as well as the volunteers and beach clean groups for all their hard work and dedication in ensuring our coastline is kept clean. I'd also like to thank the RNLI who do such a fantastic job in keeping our beaches safe." 

The Blue Flag is an international award managed by Keep Britain Tidy on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education. 

Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said: “These awards are a credit to the collective efforts of beach managers, volunteers, residents and businesses who have worked tirelessly to maintain, protect and improve some of our best-loved and most popular beaches and we’d like to take this moment to recognise and applaud them. 

“Visitors to a beach flying a Blue Flag can be assured the beach will be clean, safe and meet the highest environmental standards, as well as international bathing water quality standards.”