TEIGNMOUTH Town Beach has lost its internationally recognised Blue Flag award for 2023. 

The Blue Flag Award is an international award presented to well-managed beaches with excellent water quality and environmental education programmes across the globe. 

In total, over 5,000 awards are given across 50 countries. 

A total of 77 awards were given to sites in the UK, including 13 in Devon. Dawlish Warren did received the award, the only beach in Teignbridge to do so. 

Keep Britain Tidy describes the Blue Flag Award as an ‘international award presented to well-managed beaches with excellent water quality and environmental education programmes.’

Allison Ogden-Newton, Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, said: ‘Visitors to a beach flying a Blue Flag or Seaside Award can be assured the beach will be clean, safe and meet the highest environmental standards, as well as international bathing water quality standards.’

The Blue Flag organisation describes its award in a statement: ‘The iconic Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas, and sustainable tourism boats. In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained.

‘Central to the ideals of the Blue Flag programme is the aim of connecting the public with their surroundings and encouraging them to learn more about their environment. 

‘We’d therefore like to recognise and applaud all those who have worked so hard to protect and improve some of our best-loved and most popular beaches.

‘The collective efforts of beach managers, volunteers, residents and businesses all contribute to the success of these sites in achieving the incredibly high standards demanded.’

As such, environmental education activities must be offered and promoted in addition to a permanent display of information relevant to the site in terms of biodiversity, ecosystems and environmental phenomena.’

A spokesperson forTeignbridge District Council, said: ‘We were unable to submit Teignmouth beach for a Blue Flag this year as a high sample taken last August by the Environment Agency changed the beach’s classification from ‘excellent’ to ‘good’. 

'Having been unable to identify the cause, we are working with the Environment Agency to try and identify the pollution source, carrying out extra investigations during the coming months.’