Call for re-think over Torbay Blue Flag beach opt-out

A controversial decision to withdraw the English Riviera from the international beach standards ‘Blue Flag’ awards has been called in for a re-think.

Opposition councillors have ‘called in’ the decision of Torbay Council’s all-Conservative cabinet to replace the prestigious and long-established Blue Flag system with a home-grown ranking of its own.

The English Riviera Beach Standards awards (ERBS) would be awarded in-house to recognise the high standards of local beaches.

The body representing Torbay’s tourist industry backs the move, and a recent cabinet meeting heard that changes in how the Blue Flag scheme is organised would mean major problems for the bay.

Local cove-like beaches could not be segregated for bathers, motor craft, surfers and paddlers as the regulations insist, meaning Torbay would only be likely to keep two of its six current Blue Flags.

A report to the cabinet heard that the council could also save a significant amount of money by coming out of the Blue Flag system.

Opponents, however, said the reputation of the English Riviera would be harmed by opting out, and setting up in-house awards instead would be ‘marking our own homework’.

Now opposition councillors who are not part of the cabinet have called in the decision to be discussed by the overview and scrutiny committee instead, where Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Independents are all represented.

The Blue Flag scheme has been running since 1985, recognising beaches with clean water and good facilities across Europe and beyond. Torbay currently has six Blue Flag beaches, at Breakwater, Broadsands, Meadfoot, Oddicombe, Preston and Torre Abbey Sands.

A report to the cabinet said the ERBS would be more appropriate, environmentally sensitive and cost-effective. The report added: “While the Blue Flag scheme has historically offered recognition, its increasingly prescriptive requirements no longer align well with Torbay’s diverse coastline, sensitive marine environments and operational realities.”

Five Liberal Democrat councillors have triggered the ‘call in’, asking a number of questions about the decision.

They want to know if the council had consulted with interest groups such as the Marine Conservation Society and Surfers Against Sewage, and what consultation had been carried out with the tourism industry and local attractions.

They are asking what consultation the English Riviera BID company carried out, and whether the council had worked with neighbouring councils to lobby for changes to the Blue Flag scheme to make it more workable.

They also want to know how much developing the ERBS proposal has cost so far.