A BEACH in Prestatyn has been singled out after being awarded the coveted Blue Flag status.
Prestatyn Central was the only one in North Wales to receive the accolade by Keep Wales Tidy.
Anglesey Silver Bay, Rhoscolyn, received the Green Coast Award whilst Anglesey Llanddonna; Abergele Pensarn, Kinmel Bay, Llandudno North Shore, Rhyl Central and Gwynedd Criccieth Traeth y Promenade achieved the Seaside Award.
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The Blue Flag award is an international award certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) which recognises that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets the high standard required. Criterias for a Blue Flag beach include achieving "excellent" bathing water quality, visibly clean water, compliance with water quality sampling, displaying information about bathing water quality and having a beach management committee... just to name a few.
In Wales, the award is operated through Keep Wales Tidy. It is awarded based on a range of criteria, representing ‘environmental excellence’.
Survey Report, Perceptions of the Blue Flag Award: Welsh Beaches and Tourism for 2022 - 2023 said: "The public survey indicated that awareness of the Blue Flag Award in Wales is still very high, with more than 90 per cent of people having heard of the award. Many participants recognise it as an international award for water quality and beach cleanliness, though less realise the extended criteria. More than 50 per cent of people state that if a beach no longer had the Blue Flag award, it would or could possibly affect their decision to visit that beach, demonstrating an important link between the high recognition of the award and the impact on perceptions of both locals and visitors."
The Green Coast Award recognises "excellent water quality".
Unlike a Blue Flag Award beach, Green Coast sites do not have the infrastructure and intensive management generally associated with more traditional seaside resorts.
The report states: "Importantly, this award encourages people to ‘adopt’ areas of the coast and contribute towards the sustainability of the area, while promoting volunteering."
The Seaside Award operates in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and is awarded to coastal destinations that clean and safe, with exceptional facilities.
Prestatyn beach was also the only one in North Wales to be given the award last year.
Many beaches lost their Blue Flag status when new rules were introduced.
Keep Wales Tidy said in August 2022: "We have received final notification from the international Blue Flag jury that despite our ongoing conversations with them, a number of beaches across Gwynedd, Anglesey and Conwy will not be awarded a Blue Flag for the 2022 bathing season.
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"The beaches in question have achieved the highest environmental standards that are required by Blue Flag. However, the international jury have reinforced the decision that on beaches where there are an average of more than 50 beach users a day over a period of four weeks during the high season and where there are no lifeguards provided, then a safety risk assessment must be carried out by a recognised professional independent assessor or by a Full Member organisation of the International Life Saving Federation (ILS). Therefore, a safety risk assessment made in-house by the Blue Flag applicant is deemed non-compliant with the Blue Flag criteria.
"In previous years, applications for Blue Flag were approved with reference to robust risk assessments that were undertaken by competent, trained internal risk assessors. However, despite the submission of additional supporting information, the 2022 applications were not approved by the International Jury as they did not adequately address the requirement for an independent assessment.
"All parties involved recognise that achieving these criteria is an important element in ensuring that the standards of excellence which underpin the Blue Flag award for over 5,000 Blue Flag beaches around the world are maintained. Conversations will continue to outline, in a full and timely manner, all future Blue Flag requirements to ensure that beaches in North West Wales meet these criteria."
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