> TOP OF THE PILE FOR ISLE OF WIGHT’S QUALITY BEACHES
Yaverland retained their QCAs
The Isle of Wight is once again leading the way for the quality of its beaches in the latest Keep Britain Tidy Blue Flag and Quality Coast Awards (QCAs).
Isle of Wight Council is welcoming news that the Island has three Blue Flag beaches while also receiving 11 QCAs, giving it a total of 14 awards
Shanklin joins Ventnor and Sandown beaches in being awarded both a Blue Flag and a QCA while Colwell, Cowes, East Cowes, Gurnard, Seagrove, Springvale, Totland and Yaverland retained their QCAs.
The Island’s total of fourteen awards once again puts it joint top in the country alongside Torbay.
With 111 QCA’s awarded across the country, this means the Isle of Wight can boast almost exactly ten percent of the UK’s QCA beaches.
The criteria beaches must meet to win the award includes good access, facilities including lifeguard provision, litter free and clean bathing water.
To win a Blue Flag, similar criteria are required but with far more stringent water quality testing.
Isle of Wight Council Deputy Director for Economic Development, Tourism and Leisure John Metcalfe said “Once again we have demonstrated that the Island is a high quality visitor destination; nowhere in the UK can better the Island for top quality beaches and we are no doubt the envy of many other UK destinations.
“Over the last year the council has strived to further improve the quality of our beach facilities, for example by introducing this season innovative new access paths for less able visitors, and the refurbishment of several beachside toilets. Other regular work continues to maintain existing standards such as daily beach cleaning, the introduction of new dog control orders and maintaining the provision of our highly trained lifeguards.
Isle of Wight Council Cabinet member responsible for Tourism George Brown said “This type of recognition is extremely important and brings the Island national and international recognition. Our ongoing tourism marketing campaign is well underway to attract visitors from across the UK and there is the continuing popularity of the so-called ’staycation’. We know that potential visitors will be impressed by these awards.
“We have stunning award winning beaches, vast areas of outstanding natural beauty and many famous events and attractions. What more could you ask for in one destination”
The council did not enter Ryde East for a Blue Flag or QCA this year because following public consultation, dogs are not banned on the whole beach. This meant the beach did not meet the necessary criteria to be entered. The council continues to provide all other facilities at the beach that would otherwise allow it to qualify for a blue flag.
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It seems you have got caught out by the spin put out by this council and the hype in the media concerning these awards.
The island may well have 11 Quality coast awards they failed, however, to mention that of those 11 four are for Non Bathing beaches where the water isn’t tested by the Environment Agency as there is no requirement for stringent water quality, and therefore the council are not allowed to promote these beaches for bathing. Although they are doing exactly that if you check their website.
The Quality Coast Awards for the island are:
QCA Resort Award: Colwell; Gurnard; Sandown; Shanklin; Ventnor
QCA Bathing Beach Award: Totland; Yaverland
QCA Non Bathing Award: Cowes; East Cowes; Seagrove Bay; Springvale
With regard to the Blue Flag Award at Ryde, the Ryde Town council and the IW council members for Ryde opposed the plans to ban dogs on Ryde Sands, and the IW councils Cabinet rejected it unanimously. Which means all the people we have actually elected to represent us were against the proposals and the only people who wanted it were council employees. Who aren’t elected by anyone and are supposedly employed to serve us and implement what we and the elected council tell them to do.
Ryde has failed in the water quality standards for us to even be allowed to apply for a Blue Flag for 2 out of the last 3 years because the Solent is polluted. And the testing is soon to get a lot more stringent under incoming EU rules. Regardless what evidence is there that these expensive awards actually benefit us? After all we can hardly move on the Islands roads now so we are hardly lacking in tourists, and come the summer holidays the island is packed to breaking point, take these pointless Awards away completely and it still would be.
The Blue Flag scheme has driven up standards of Uk beeches. It has highlighted improvements and helped educate the public.
Thanks to the Seaclean treatment of most IOW sewage the beeches are of better qaulity than 20 years ago. In fact since the water companies were privatised qaulity of UK rivers and our coasts have generally improved. There has been a large investment from the government and private water companies.
Whilst there is always room for improvements – let’s not just attack the Council for the sake of it.
It would also be good if Islanders set a good example but not flytipping in the countryside and leaving rubbish on the beeches.
Hey Ray we aint exactly attacking the council for the sake of it and Surfers Against Sewage have called for the Blue Flags on the Island to be withdrawn. Fly-tipping is illegal and whilst your talking about rubbish on the beach I don’t somehow think that the vast majority of that has anything to do with Islanders, except in that they are paying to have it cleared up, during the summer months at least.