Blue flags are flying over most of Bournemouth.
Not all of them, though.
Avon Beach didn’t make the cut.
The council claims it was a stupid administrative error, but Keep Britain Tidy has already sent out the checks for Sandbanks, Shore Road at Canford Cliffs, Durley China, Fisherman’s Walk, and Highcliffe. Those six spots got the nod for water quality and environmental management.
Avon? Missed.
The council is waving their arms, insisting the sand is still just as clean.
“Those who know and love Avon Avon Beach will already know its excellence goes far beyond any single certification.”
It sounds nice, doesn’t it? But the rules are strict. The application deadline passed.
An officer spotted the slip-up, appealed, but too late. Avon Beach isn’t getting a Blue Flag. It got the Seaside Award instead. Which is good. It just means it’s clean, not that it passed the extra rigorous tests.
Sandbanks took its 39th Blue Flag. Every single year since they started counting. That kind of consistency is hard to mess up.
Avon Beach has the sauna, the lobster restaurant, the cafés. Richard Herrett, who looks after leisure ops, said the experience matters more than the ribbon. He says they’ll keep maintaining the standards.
Maybe.
You go to the beach for the view, not the certificate. Still. It looks sloppy.
