Keep Britain Tidy is presenting 208 awards to England’s best beaches, including 71 international Blue Flags and 137 Seaside Awards, with 52 beaches achieving both awards.

And clocking up the most accolades, with 23 awards, is Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole.

Having come together under one local authority (BCP) in April, and including the UK’s Best Beach – as voted in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards for the second year in a row, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole now boast a combined total of nine Blue Flags and 14 Seaside Awards.

Blue Flag beaches are:
Alum Chine
Branksome Chine
Canford Cliffs
Durley Chine
Fishermans Walk
Sandbanks
Shore Road
Southbourne
Manor Steps (newly accredited for 2019).

On top of this, all nine Blue Flag locations have the added honour of receiving Seaside Awards, as well as the beaches at Bournemouth, Boscombe, Friar’s Cliff, Avon and Highcliffe.

Allison Ogden-Newton, Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive said: “The success of the 156 beaches in reaching the very high standards demanded by both awards is testament to all those who have worked so hard to protect and improve our beaches – from beach managers and volunteers to local people and businesses.

“When you enjoy a trip to a beach flying an international Blue Flag or Seaside Award, you know you are on one of the safest, cleanest and very best in the country.”

Leave Only Footprints, a litter campaign launched last year in Bournemouth & Poole appeals to visitors to continue to look after the area’s award-winning beaches. Devised in 2018 the campaign encourages beach-goers to clear up after their day at the seaside, putting rubbish in the bins provided.

Embraced by the local community, as well as a host of businesses and organisations, the campaign has amassed 1,575 volunteer hours on litter picks and beach cleans across Bournemouth and Poole in the last year.

Chris Saunders, head of operations for Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Tourism, said, “We’re so proud of the numbers of awards we’ve received this year. The team works hard to care for our beaches and Leave Only Footprints has reinforced a sense of pride among locals and regular visitors too. We consider ourselves very lucky to be the guardians of such a breathtaking stretch of coastline and it’s great to know that Keep Britain Tidy have given us their stamp of approval.

“It just goes to the show this really is the coast with the most!”