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media release
everyone -
Scotland's environment groups campaigning together (500,000 supporters,
26 organisations,
ONE voice)
SCOTTISH BEACH QUALITY IMPROVES “THANKS TO EUROPE” everyone coalition aims to keep up the pressure
Thursday 8 April 2004
Responding to today's (Thursday 8 April) news that the
number of Scottish beaches qualifying for a prestigious Seaside Award
[1] had increased
by fourteen to 40, everyone environmental coalition [2] spokesperson,
Fred Edwards, said:
"It looks as if the tide may be finally beginning
to turn for many of Scotland's poor quality beaches. While many different
organisations have
helped to achieve this change the main driving force for improvement
has been European environmental legislation. Had it nor been for the
EU's Bathing Waters Directive and Urban Waste Water Treatment Directives
it is unlikely any of the necessary clean up action would have taken
place.
"
While this increase in beach quality is to be welcomed it must be remembered
that there are still beaches in Scotland that fail to meet the minimum
safety standards set way back in the 1970s. In the forthcoming European
elections is it important that voters find out which candidates will
back further action to further improve the quality of Scotland's coastline.
An easy way to do so is to visit the everyone election website at www.everyonecan.org" [3]
For more information on the everyone campaign contact:
Lang Banks on 0131 554 9977 (pager) 07654 200937
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] EMBARGOED release from Keep Scotland
Beautiful [full release below]
[2] The everyone campaign is a 26-strong coalition of Scotland's leading
environmental organisations aiming to put the environment firmly on
the political agenda in the run up to June's European Parliament elections.
Campaigning together as the everyone coalition, the groups plan to
mobilise
their collective half a million supporters to challenge prospective
MEPs on range of environmental issues including marine issues.
The everyone campaign is an initiative from Scottish Environment LINK.
• The campaign is providing user-friendly information packs and has launched
a campaigning website: http://www.everyonecan.org with briefing materials
and information on contacting candidates.
• Campaign postcards and an e-mail advert will be circulated widely to
encourage people to get involved.
• LINK groups are organising a series of election hustings meetings. Meetings
have been confirmed so far in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The everyone campaign is supported by: Association of Regional
and Island Archaeologists, Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation
Group,
Biological
Recording in Scotland, Butterfly Conservation Scotland, Cairngorms
Campaign, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Hebridean Whale & Dolphin
Trust, John Muir Trust, Marine Conservation Society, Mountaineering
Council of Scotland,
The National Trust for Scotland, North East Mountain Trust, Plantlife,
Ramblers' Association Scotland, Reforesting Scotland, RSPB Scotland,
ruralScotland, Soil Association Scotland, Scottish Countryside Activities
Council, Scottish Countryside Rangers' Association, Scottish Wild Land
Group, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Sustrans Scotland , TRANSform Scotland,
Woodland Trust Scotland and WWF Scotland
[3] For details of beaches failing water quality in Scotland
see: http://www.sepa.org.uk/data/bathingwaters/2003bathingseason/index.htm
For more information on the everyone campaign contact:
Lang Banks on 0131 554 9977 (pager) 07654 200937
Keep Scotland
Beautiful release
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<NEWS
RELEASE SEASIDE PRIDE FOR MUCH IMPROVED SCOTLAND
Embargoed until
0001hrs, Thursday 8th April 2004.
Includes a list of award winning
beaches and
a top ten of UK resorts.
It was once a national scandal; but with news today that it has
FOURTEEN new Seaside Award winners and in Montrose, has the most
improved
beach in Britain - the tide is turning for Scotland's coastline.
Organised by Keep Scotland Beautiful, the Seaside Awards have
been honouring the very best and cleanest beaches for over a
decade.
Back when they
began, Scotland's haul of flag fliers was abysmal. Now we have
40 winners and with a report on the state of 171 UK resorts claiming
that Montrose
has upped its performance by 37% - we can at last boast to visitors
that Scotland is the place to be when you want to be beside the
sea.
"Tourism is the fourth largest industry in Scotland, employing 193,000
people and this is good news for every single one of them" said
John Summers, National Director of Keep Scotland Beautiful. "In
fact, this renewed sense of confidence in our coast as a clean,
viable place to visit, should lead to an influx of even more
tourists and
bolster our local and national economies."
Amongst those flying the distinctive yellow and blue Seaside
Award flag for the first time are resort favourite Broughty
Ferry and
rural beach
Lunderston Bay (see full list of award winners). Scotland's
haul of fourteen new entries is the best in the UK - outstripping
the South
West coast
(the so called "English Riviera") who managed nine.
All 40 award winners have passed strict tests on access, facilities
and health
and safety. SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) tests
bathing water quality and only those beaches that have passed
the EU minimum
legal standards, are permitted to fly the flag throughout the
summer months. Investment in waste treatment systems by Scottish
Water has
led to a big improvement in water, particularly at Broughty Ferry.
A survey of resort beaches released today also shows a marked
improvement in Scotland's performance. In fact, all ten beaches
surveyed either
matched or bettered their scores from last year, with Burntisland
and St Andrews
West claiming the crown of top beach in Scotland with scores
of 89/100 (see top ten UK resorts).
The report, which looked at 68 different criteria, revealed
a 13% improvement in dog control and a stunning 19% hike in
water
safety.
The average
score for a Scottish beach was 78/100. Back in 1998 it was
just 47!
Overall, 375 UK beaches have today gained Seaside Awards. Aside
from Scotland, this year's big winners are the North West of
England, with five new entries (including Blackpool) and three
re-entries.
With six
more winners than last year, Wales still leads the way with
109 flag-fliers,
followed by the South West of England with 83. Northern Ireland
also made pleasing progress, clocking up a record eleven awards.
But while John Summers was delighted with today's progress,
he also sounded this cautionary note: "There are still swathes
of our coastline that are not up to scratch and the resort survey
has revealed
problems
- especially with a lack of good public information at the beach.
" These are areas we will be concentrating on in the future. However, today
is about celebrating our much improved coastline and it is my
hope that every proud Scot will now act as an ambassador and sell its benefits
to who ever they speak to!"
To view all the award-winning beaches, visit www.encams.org.uk
and click on Seaside Awards.
- Ends -
For further information Please contact Peter Gibson/Laura
Eastham, Keep Scotland Beautiful on 07768 880016.
Notes to Editors Keep Scotland Beautiful is an independent
charity working for the improvement of local environments
and runs Eco
Schools, the Blue
Flag Awards and the People & Places programme and chairs
the Clean Coast Scotland partnership.
Seaside Award Winning Beaches 2004 * - Denotes resort beach
Scotland +14 (40 winners. There are fourteen new entries)
Aberdour, Harbour (Fife) *Aberdour, Silver Sands (Fife) Achmelvich
Bay
(Sutherland) Androssan/Saltcoats
South (North Ayrshire) Anstruther, Billowness (Fife) Belhaven
Bay (Dunbar) (East Lothian) Big Sand (Ross and Cromarty)
Brora (Sutherland)
*Broughty
Ferry (Dundee) *Burntisland (Fife) Crail, Roome Bay (Fife)
Dornoch (Sutherland) Durness, Sango Bay (Sutherland) *Elie
Harbour (Fife)
Elie, Ruby Bay (Fife)
Embo (Sutherland) Firemore (Ross and Cromarty) Gairloch (Ross
and Cromarty) Golspie, North (Sutherland) Golspie, South
(Sutherland) Gruinard (Ross
and Cromarty) Gullane Bents (East Lothian) Kinghorn, Pettycur
(Fife)
Kingsbarns (Fife) Longniddry (East Lothian) Lunderston Bay
(Clyde) Machrihanish Beach (Argyll and Bute) Mellon Udrigle
(Ross and
Cromarty) *Montrose
(Angus) *Nairn, Central (Sutherland) North Berwick, Milsey
Bay, East Beach (East Lothian) North Berwick, West Beach
(East Lothian)
Portmahomack
(Ross and Cromarty) Redpoint North (Ross and Cromarty) Seton
Sands (East Lothian) Shandwick Bay (Ross and Cromarty) *St
Andrews, East
Sands (Fife)
*St Andrews, West Sands (Fife) Strathy Bay (Sutherland) Yellowcraigs
(East Lothian)
New entries - Androssan/Saltcoats South, Big Sand, *Broughty
Ferry, Firemore, Gairloch, Gruinard, Longniddry, Lunderston
Bay, Machrihanish
Beach, Mellon
Udrigle, *Montrose, Portmahomack, Redpoint North and Seton
Sands.
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