Bognor Regis and Littlehampton beaches retain prestigious Seaside Awards

The awards, organised by Keep Britain Tidy, recognise beaches which are clean, safe, attractive and well-organised. A nationwide award, they are widely seen as a benchmark for quality in the UK and, in 2022, 128 beaches in England received the award.

Other Sussex beaches to win the prize include the Hastings Marina, Pelham Beach, Saltdean Beach, Brighton Central Beach and Hove Lawns Beach.

Commenting on the awards, Arun District Councillor Shaun Gunner (Conservative) said: “This is great news for Arun and is a credit to everyone who works to maintain our beaches and keep them clean, tidy and safe.”

The news comes despite ongoing concerns that sewage releases along the coast have damaged bathing water quality in Arun District, with Cllr Gunner himself speaking out against Southern Water last year when Aldwick Beach was rated ‘poor’ by the Environment Agency.

Similar concerns were raised last week after Southern Water engineers rushed to fix a burst sewer pipe in a field near Yapton Road. The incident led to the authorisation of six sewage releases through outfalls on several Bognor Regis bathing sites as flow from the damaged pipe was transported to other centres, overloading parts of the system.

Under advice from the Environmental Agency, and in response to the incident, Arun District Council issued notices which warned swimmers to steer clear of the sea due to the heightened risk of pollution, although these have since been removed.

Several Bognor Regis Observer readers have since questioned the award. Commenting on Facebook, Chris Wright linked the awards to plans for a 116 bedroom Premier Inn hotel on the seafront: “I can’t see them wanting to build that hotel on the seafront here if they knew there was a possible 20 plus years of (sewage), I know I wouldn’t,” he said.

"The stones make it look like a gravel pit,” added Martin Bickell. “Easyjet, £60 and you’re stepping on sand and swimming in warm water.”

Other readers questioned the integrity of the awards themselves, with Emma Harnett asking: “Is this some kind of sick joke?”

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Gunner: Southern Water 'need to step up' after Aldwick bathing water rated 'poor'