Clean beach campaign restarts with £300,000 boost

The campaign is aimed at protecting Blackpool’s beaches

A clean beach initiative at one of UK’s best-loved resorts is to be re-established after a £300,000 funding boost.

The money will be provided jointly by Blackpool Council and water company United Utilities to re-establish the Love My Beach initiative.

Previously the project was spearheaded by Keep Britain Tidy as part of the wider Turning Tides partnership, funded by the Environment Agency and United Utilities, but it withdrew from its role in 2020.

Now, Blackpool Council has reached its own agreement with United Utilities to revive the campaign with the local authority providing expertise from its own officers.

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb was among those to raise concerns about beach pollution.

In July he shared figures which showed there had been 158 pollution alerts for Fylde coast beaches so far this year.

Responding to Mr Webb’s concerns, United Utilities revealed it was proposing its "largest ever programme of environmental improvements" to reduce sources of potential pollution with £3bn of spending in the pipeline.

The company added it was "committed to working with other agencies to tackle all pollution sources".

Major investment

Love My Beach previously organised events including beach clean-ups and education campaigns, such as urging people to consider what they flushed down the toilet in order to help reduce pollution.

The decision to put funding back into the scheme comes after a survey last year found there was still strong support for the Turning Tides partnership.

Since it was set up in 2012, its majors investments have included millions of pounds spent on infrastructure such as improved sewage outfall pipes at Anchorsholme and Harrowside.

A council report says "it was agreed that Blackpool Council would be the most appropriate organisation to host the future partnership".