Yorkshire still has four Blue Flag beaches - but they may not be the ones you think

Bridlington’s North East beach has lost its Blue Flag, but new to the honour this year is Withernsea, which was not given the title last year.

Scarborough’s North Bay, Whitby and Hornsea have retained their Blue Flags and 12 further beaches have received the Seaside Award – Keep Britain Tidy’s own award for the beaches that meet the very highest standards for cleanliness and facilities.

Whitby and Scarborough North Bay also received the Seaside Award.

Scarborough Borough Council’s remit now includes eight Seaside Award-winning beaches and two Blue Flag beaches.

Leisure manager for Andrew Williams, said: “Once again it’s great news that we’ve received Blue Flag and Seaside Awards for beaches in our borough, which are a crucial part of the attractiveness of our coastline.

“The awards reflect the high quality of our beaches and means those visiting them can be sure that they are clean and safe with good facilities and that they meet tough bathing water quality standards.”

The East Riding now has two Blue Flag winners and six Seaside Award winners.

Coun Richard Burton, portfolio holder for civic wellbeing and culture at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “This is fantastic news, the announcement will not only demonstrate that we have excellent beaches, but will also attract extra tourism to the area in time for the summer period.

“I am delighted to hear of Withernsea receiving a Blue Flag for its excellent beach and Hornsea retaining its Blue Flag status for another year, with Flamborough South and Runswick Bay showing an improvement, both achieving ‘Excellent’.

“I am also thrilled that the other East Riding beaches won a Seaside Award, which assures people they are visiting one of the best beaches in the country.

“The results are testament to the unique partnership approach being taken by the council,

“Whilst we are disappointed that Bridlington North has not retained its Blue Flag status, it is important to note that the new classifications are twice as stringent as the previous ones and bathing water quality remains very high.

“We will continue to work together with our partners to progress towards achieving more Blue Flags in the future.”

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Bathing Water Partnership, which was formed in 2010 and comprises the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, North Yorkshire County Council, Scarborough Borough Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Welcome To Yorkshire, said: “We are delighted that Yorkshire’s bathing waters continue to show an overall improving trend in water quality, particularly following the introduction of much more stringent standards under the new directive.

“The Yorkshire Water Bathing Partnership has been hugely successful in driving this trend and giving our bathing waters the boost needed to meet the directive. Not only has this been achieved through significant investment in water company infrastructure, but also through the shared knowledge, expertise and dedication of each partner organisation.

“Many factors can affect bathing water quality and by pooling our resources Yorkshire’s bathing waters have the best chance of achieving the highest standards possible. The Yorkshire Bathing Water Partnership will continue to drive improvements in Yorkshire’s bathing water quality with the aim of securing more Blue Flags in the future.”

Blue Flags 2016

Scarborough North Bay - Scarborough Borough Council

Whitby - Scarborough Borough Council

Withernsea - East Riding of Yorkshire Council (NEW)

Hornsea - East Riding of Yorkshire Council

Seaside awards

Bridlington North - East Riding of Yorkshire (NEW)

Bridlington South - East Riding of Yorkshire

Wilsthorpe - East Riding of Yorkshire

Fraisthorpe - East Riding of Yorkshire

Danes Dyke - East Riding of Yorkshire

South Landing - East Riding of Yorkshire

Scarborough South Bay - Scarborough Borough Council

Filey - Scarborough Borough Council

Runswick Bay - Scarborough Borough Council

Cayton Bay - Scarborough Borough Council

Sandsend - Scarborough Borough Council

Robin Hoods Bay - Scarborough Borough Council

Scarborough North Bay - Scarborough Borough Council

Whitby - Scarborough Borough Council