Yorkshire Beaches Honoured with Prestigious 2025 Blue Flag and Seaside Awards

Beaches along the Yorkshire coast are celebrating after receiving a total of 13 prestigious awards from environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy in their annual Blue Flag and Seaside Awards programme for 2025.

The awards recognise beaches that meet high standards for quality, cleanliness, safety, and visitor facilities.

Internationally recognised Blue Flags were awarded to beaches in Hornsea and Withernsea, both managed by East Riding of Yorkshire Council as well as to Whitby in North Yorkshire. This marks the fifth consecutive year Hornsea has achieved Blue Flag status and the third year in a row for Withernsea. 

The Blue Flag award is the world's most recognised award for beaches and is only presented to those with water achieving the 'excellent' quality standard as set by the EU Bathing Water Directive, alongside having an environmental education programme and meeting stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria.

Further along the coast, a range of beaches received the Seaside Award, presented to England's best beaches to celebrate the quality and diversity of the coastline. Beaches receiving a Seaside Award included Bridlington North, South Landing, and Wilsthorpe in the East Riding of Yorkshire. In North Yorkshire, beaches in Filey, Runswick Bay, Cayton Bay, Robin Hoods Bay, Sandsend, and Scarborough North Bay also earned Seaside Awards. Whitby beach was notably recognised with both a Blue Flag and a Seaside Award. Seaside Award winners must meet the 'sufficient' bathing water quality standard.

Water quality results played a key role in the awards. Hornsea, Withernsea, and Wilsthorpe all recorded 'excellent' water quality results. Bridlington North and South Landing were noted for achieving 'good' results.

Councillor Barbara Jefferson, East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s cabinet member for heritage and coastal, expressed pride in the achievement. She stated,

“I’m extremely proud that Hornsea and Withernsea will be flying Blue Flags once again and that Bridlington North, South Landing and Wilsthorpe have achieved Seaside Awards.

“These are fantastic achievements and prove that our beaches are among the best in the country.

“We are blessed with marvellous beaches in the East Riding, from Flamborough and Bridlington down to Hornsea and Withernsea.

“They are always popular with residents and visitors, and no doubt will be again this summer.”

Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said: 

“In England we are lucky enough to have some of the best beaches in the world. It’s wonderful to see the flags flying proudly over these East Riding beaches, demonstrating their quality to residents and visitors alike.

“The awards are a credit to the collective efforts of beach and site managers, volunteers, residents and businesses who should take pride today in their tireless efforts to maintain, protect and improve some of our best-loved and most popular blue spaces.

“Visitors to a beach flying a Blue Flag can be assured the beach will be clean, safe and meet the highest environmental standards.”

The Blue Flag and Seaside Awards programme, now in its 38th year, is managed by Keep Britain Tidy and aims to improve the quality of England’s coastline while promoting its best beaches. The criteria beaches are assessed against include safety and services like first aid and lifeguards, environmental information and management (including litter and waste), and water quality.

Yorkshire Coast Blue Flag Award Winners 2025:

Beaches flying the Blue Flag meet the world's most recognised award criteria for quality and environmental management.

• Hornsea (Achieved Blue Flag for five years running)
• Whitby
• Withernsea (Achieved Blue Flag for three years in a row)

To qualify for the Blue Flag award, beaches must meet stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria. A key requirement is achieving 'excellent' water quality as set out in the EU Bathing Water Directive. Hornsea and Withernsea both recorded ‘excellent’ water quality results. The Blue Flag is also an environmental education programme managed by Keep Britain Tidy on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education. Visitors to a beach flying a Blue Flag can be assured it will be clean, safe and meet the highest environmental standards.

Yorkshire Coast Seaside Award Winners 2025:

Seaside Awards are presented to the best beaches in England, celebrating the quality and diversity of the coastline.

• Bridlington North
• Cayton Bay
• Filey
• Robin Hoods Bay
• Runswick Bay
• Sandsend
• Scarborough North Bay
• South Landing
• Whitby
• Wilsthorpe

Beaches receiving a Seaside Award must meet the 'sufficient' bathing water quality standard. Among the East Riding recipients of the Seaside Award, Wilsthorpe recorded 'excellent' water quality, while Bridlington North and South Landing recorded 'good' results. Criteria for Seaside Awards include safety and services (like first aid and lifeguards where necessary), environmental information (including details about local ecosystems), environmental management (including litter and waste), and water quality.

In total, 144 sites across England were presented with awards in 2025, including 142 beaches, a marina, and an inland bathing water. 76 beaches nationally met the high standards for a Blue Flag award. A further 120 beaches nationally are displaying Seaside Awards. 

Within Yorkshire & Humber, three beaches received the Blue Flag award, and within Yorkshire, ten beaches received a Seaside Award. Whitby was among the beaches nationally that received both a Blue Flag and a Seaside Award. The East Riding of Yorkshire Council's coastal services team achieved all five awards they applied for.