Two Newquay beaches secure Seaside Awards but miss out on Blue Flag status

Two beaches in Newquay have secured Seaside Awards for 2026, but none of the town's beaches will be flying the prestigious Blue Flag this summer.

Great Western and Porth are among five Cornish beaches to receive a Seaside Award, which recognises the quality and diversity of England's coastline.

Ten beaches across Cornwall have retained Blue Flag status, including Polzeath and Porthtowan. The international award is managed by Keep Britain Tidy on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education and is only granted to beaches meeting standards in water quality, environmental management, environmental education and safety.

The other Cornish beaches receiving Seaside Awards are Crackington Haven, Portreath and Sennen.

Councillor Loic Rich, Cornwall Council cabinet member for environment and climate change, said: "Cornwall has some of the best beaches in the world and it's fantastic that we have retained all ten of our Blue Flag awards.

"We're proud of our beautiful beaches and we ask that people help us to keep them clean and protect marine life by making sure they don't leave litter behind.

"We also encourage people to visit beaches with RNLI cover and to follow the advice of the lifeguards."

Cornwall Council contributes towards the cost of RNLI lifeguard cover on many beaches across the county and is encouraging visitors to follow beach safety advice.

The awards come amid heightened concern about sewage pollution in Cornwall.

Last week, Newquay Town Council unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in South West Water over concerns about sewage pollution and its impact on the environment.

The motion stated: "This council notes with grave concern the systemic failure of South West Water to manage the sewage system in Cornwall. Despite record bills and government intervention raw sewage continues to impact our environment and public health.

"Therefore this Council resolves to formally declare a Vote of No Confidence in South West Water."

The council has also backed the Dowr Glan campaign, a county-wide initiative calling for changes to the management of water and sewage services in Cornwall.

As part of the motion, the council agreed to write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, calling for South West Water to be removed from the management of Cornwall's water and sewage systems and for services to be transferred to a publicly owned organisation.