The environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy has given its coveted Blue Flag and Seaside Award to 10 beaches in Torbay for summer 2024.

Breakwater Beach, Broadsands Beach, Meadfoot Beach, Oddicombe Beach, Preston Sands and Torre Abbey Sands have all met the high standards for the right to fly the Blue Flag.

Oddicombe is one of only two in England to have won it every year since the Blue Flag award started 37 years ago.

The Blue Flag is the world’s most recognised award for beaches, marinas and inland bathing waters. To qualify, they must meet high standards for the environment, education, safety and accessibility. 

All six Blue Flag beaches also won the Seaside Award this year, along with four others in Torbay - Maidencombe Beach, Goodrington Beach, Paignton Beach and Ansteys Cove. This award is for the best beaches in England and celebrates the quality and diversity of our coastline. 

This year's results confirm the Bay's position as one of the nation's leading resorts. One in ten of England’s beaches with both the Blue Flag and Seaside Award this year are on the English Riviera.

Torbay's success again this year showcases the ongoing exceptional commitment to environmental sustainability, water quality, safety, and beach management across Torquay, Paignton and Brixham.

It highlights the hard work and dedication of Tor Bay Harbour & Beach Authority and partners at SWISCo to look after Torbay’s beaches to the highest standards.

The award organisers have also paid tribute to the year-round support from the whole community for playing their part in caring for our coast.

Torbay Council’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Chris Lewis, said: “I am absolutely delighted that once again so many of our beaches have been successful in these prestigious awards.

“It is a tribute to all the work by our staff, partners and the wider community that goes in to looking after our most treasured places. The awards also give reassurance to our residents and visitors about the high standards they can expect for the quality, safety and management of our beaches in Torbay.”

Carolyn Custerson, Chief Executive Officer of English Riviera BID Company Ltd, which markets the English Riviera as one of the UK’s premier resorts, said: “The ERBID Company is delighted with this year’s Blue Flag and Seaside Awards.

"Our glorious beaches are one of the English Riviera’s greatest natural assets that attract literally millions of visitors to the area every year.”

Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said: “It’s wonderful to see the flags flying proudly over these 150 fantastic beaches that are a real asset to both residents and visitors from across the country. 

“Blue Flag locations are free for all to enjoy, with visitors able to experience the same quality as destinations like Spain or Trinidad and Tobago without the environmental impact - or price tag - of flying. 

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

“The awards are a credit to the collective efforts of beach and site managers, volunteers, residents and businesses who have worked tirelessly to maintain, protect and improve some of our best-loved and most popular blue spaces and we’d like to take this moment to recognise and applaud them.”

More about the 2024 Blue Flag and Seaside Awards

In total 150 sites in England received awards recognising their quality, the way they are run and what they offer to visitors.

Two of this year's 72 Blue Flag beaches - Sandbanks in Poole and Oddicombe in Torbay - have scooped the award every year since it was launched 37 years ago. 

A further 136 beaches are proudly displaying Seaside Awards. This includes 60 with both Blue Flag and Seaside Awards. 

The Blue Flag and Seaside Awards are aimed at improving the quality of England’s coastline and blue spaces and promoting the country’s best beaches. 

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

It is only presented to beaches, marinas and inland bathing waters with bathing water which has achieved the highest classification as set by the EU Bathing Water Directive and has an environmental education programme.

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

Among the criteria beaches are assessed against are: 

  • Safety and services, such as first aid, lifeguards where necessary 
  • Environmental information, including displaying details about local eco systems 
  • Water quality – Blue Flag beaches must meet the ‘excellent’ water quality standard as set out in the EU bathing water directive and Seaside Award winners must meet the 'sufficient’ standard.  
  • Environmental management, including litter and waste 

There is a full list of award winners on the Keep Britain Tidy website: 72 of the country's best beaches will proudly fly a Blue Flag this summer | Keep Britain Tidy

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