Littlehampton and Bognor’s beaches to proudly fly Seaside Awards again this year thanks to hardworking teams

Keep Britain Tidy’s Seaside Awards are awarded to the best beaches in the country and the flag is a symbol of quality which ensures visitors are guaranteed to find a clean, safe, attractive and well-managed coastal area.

Arun District Council, which is the authority responsible for the day-to-day running of the beaches, welcomed the news.

“It’s fantastic news that these two Arun beaches have again been recognised in the Seaside Awards,” said chief executive Nigel Lynn who praised the dedication of everyone involved in maintaining the beaches to such a high standard.

He added: “With the restrictions on international travel imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, we are expecting a very busy summer and these awards prove that these two Arun beaches are among the best in the UK to visit.”

Mr Lynn thanked the beach patrol and other council teams, along with the many volunteers and residents who give up their spare time to help keep our seafronts free from litter and operating smoothly.

He also used the opportunity to remind beachgoers to take their picnic litter home with them and if the bins are full, to dispose of it in their recycling or household waste ‘in order to keep our seafronts looking great’.

Keep Britain Tidy’s Seaside Awards celebrate the quality and diversity of England’s coastline.

Formerly called the Quality Coast Award, the scheme is the nationwide standard for the best beaches across the UK.

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, said: “This year, more than ever, we are going to be relying on our country’s beautiful beaches to escape for a much-needed break after all the stresses and strains of the past year.

“Last year, due to the pandemic, we did not have the opportunity to celebrate all the great award-winning beaches around the coast so this year we are delighted to have even more winners than we did in 2019, thanks to the incredible work of the teams around the country that make our beaches clean and safe for us all to enjoy.

“From environmental education for the local community and ensuring responsible beach use, to cleaning regimes and an increasing number of recycling facilities, it is a full-time commitment to create beaches worthy of these awards.”

She said as we all plan our 2021 holidays much closer to home, thanks to the Blue Flag and Seaside Awards, those choosing to holiday at a destination with an award-winning beach can be assured it will be clean and safe and meet the highest standards for water quality and management.