This summer, seven Cornwall Council beaches will be flying Blue Flags with Cornwall receiving the largest number of Blue Flag and Seaside Awards in the country.

Prestigious Blue Flags, the international standard for the best beaches in the world, will be flying this season at Cornwall Council’s Gyllyngvase in Falmouth; Porthminster and Porthmeor in St Ives; Polzeath; Porthtowan; Trevone and Widemouth, near Bude.  All seven have also been successful in their bid for a Seaside Award.

In addition, Porth near Newquay has been successful in its bid for a Seaside Award and joins Crooklets and Summerleaze in Bude in gaining Keep Britain Tidy’s own award for the beaches that meet the very highest standards for cleanliness and facilities.

All the award applications have been funded by Sharp’s Brewery Limited with Cornwall Council co-ordinating the application process, and the work required to make sure that the beaches reach the exacting standards required to win made possible through the efforts of community groups, beach champions and local businesses.

But new bathing water standards that have forced the showing of warning signs about swimming in Looe have caused controversy.

We’ll have a report on that in this week’s Cornish Times, on sale Friday.