East Suffolk Council is celebrating seeing four of its beaches named among the best in the country as environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy announces winners of the Blue Flag and Seaside Awards for 2026
Four beaches have been recognised for being clean and safe, meeting the highest environmental standards with both Felixstowe (Felixstowe South and Pier) and Southwold (Southwold Pier) once again receiving combined Seaside Awards and Blue Flags, and Lowestoft South of Claremont Pier (bathing / resort) and Kessingland (non-bathing) receiving Seaside Awards for 2026.
Cllr Sarah Whitelock, East Suffolk’s cabinet member for Communities, Leisure and Tourism said:
“We are incredibly proud to once again be flying both Blue Flag and Seaside Award flags across Felixstowe, Lowestoft and Southwold. These awards recognise the care and effort our teams put into our seaside resorts to ensure our beaches are accessible to everyone, that they’re safe and well-managed. By raising the flags visitors can be assured that East Suffolk has some of best beaches in the world and we can’t wait to welcome all our visitors this summer.”
Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said:
“England is fortunate to boast some of the world’s finest beaches, and it’s encouraging to see this reflected in the awards to four of East Suffolk’s beaches, signalling its high standards to all who visit or live nearby.
“Everybody involved in these achievements should feel proud of their ongoing work to care for and enhance these important local blue spaces.”
The Blue Flag and Seaside Awards are designed to raise standards across England’s coastline and inland waters, while shining a spotlight on the country’s top beaches. These awards are the only way for the public to be assured that beaches are delivering a safe, clean and well-managed space for them to enjoy.
Blue Flag is an environmental education programme managed by Keep Britain Tidy on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education.
Among the criteria beaches are assessed against are:
- Safety and services such as first aid, and lifeguards where necessary
- Environmental information, including displaying details about local ecosystems
- Environmental management, including litter and waste
- Water quality – Blue Flag beaches must meet the ‘excellent’ water quality standard as set out in the EU bathing water directive and Seaside Award (designated bathing waters) winners must meet, as a minimum, the 'sufficient’ standard.