With the spring bank holiday coming up – and the weather predicted to be quite sunny – you may fancy popping along to a nearby beach for a dip.
If you’re looking for clean water, litter-free sands and decent facilities, it might be wise to head to North Tyneside.
North Tyneside has clinched more awards for its stunning beaches than any other part of the north east.
There are three beaches in North Tyneside that have been awarded prestigious Blue Flags: Tyneside Longsands (south), Whitley Bay (south) and King Edward’s Bay.
Blue Flags are awarded in Europe by the EU and to get them beaches must meet stringent standards.
Local sewage treatment must be adequate, lifeguards must be present to ensure the safety of bathers and there must be safe access to the beach. In addition, Blue Flag beaches must meet a long list of other criteria.
All North Tyneside’s Blue Flag beaches – in addition to Cullercoats Bay – have also won Seaside Awards.
Seaside Awards are given out by Keep Britain Tidy. To receive these awards beaches must have clean bathing water and a lifeguard service. The beaches must be cleaned regularly and dog bylaws must be enforced.
Norma Redfern, the mayor of North Tyneside, said, “We are immensely lucky to have such a beautiful coastline here in North Tyneside – our beaches are among the very best in Europe and these Blue Flag awards are a real symbol of their quality.”
“I’d like to say a huge thank you to all our staff who work so hard to maintain this award-winning standard, as well as to all of our visitors and businesses along the coast who always treat it with the utmost respect.”
Other north-east Blue Flag beaches include Sandhaven Beach in South Shields, Roker Beach near Sunderland, and Seaburn.
If you fancy going a bit further afield, you could pop down to North Yorkshire, where Whitby and Scarborough both boast Blue Flag beaches and Robin Hood’s Bay has won the Seaside Award.
(Featured image courtesy of Paul Robertson, from Flickr Creative Commons)
