Weymouth's Crowning Glory is it's award-winning beach. It's safe, it's soft and it's sandy -and, even the BBC weatherman says this is traditionally one of Britain's warmest, sunniest and driest areas.

Seaside Award 1999
The Seaside Award recognises two categories of beach "resort" and "rural". A Seaside Award will be given to a beach which complies with all appropriate legislation, including the Bathing Water Directive 76/160/EEC, and fulfils 28 land-based criteria, in the case of a resort, and 12 in the case of a rural beach.

High Standards
Award-winning beaches can only fly their flag for one year and are reviewed annually. They are also checked during the summer to make sure that they are still meeting the high standards. If a beach fails in any area then it has to take the flag down until it can prove that the problem has been solved.

There are five main areas which are considered before a Seaside Award beach can fly a flag: water quality, safety management, cleanliness and information provision.

Water Complies with European legislation.
Dogs Banned from the main section of all resort and some rural beaches: dogs must be kept on leads, dog refuse bins must be provided.
Telephones Available within five minutes walk.
Toilets Clean and adequate facilities including those for the disabled visitors at resort beaches.
Bathing Safety Life saving equipment must be provided with lifeguards recommended at resort beaches.

Supervision Every day with times to cover.
First Aid Provided and attended with times of cover displayed.
Information Displayed results of latest water quality sampling as well as previous four years' overall results; Seaside Award criteria; contact address; attendance times; local environmental initiatives; local bye laws, including dog restrictions; map of Award area showing car parks, water sampling points and facilities.

Good Water Quality
The Environmental Agency (or Department of Environment) check the bathing water 20 times during the summer season. All Seaside Awards have reached the Mandatory standard (M) of the Bathing Water Directive (EEC/76/160) the previous year. Some beaches have reached the higher Guideline standard (G). In this guide, details of the last six years' water quality standards are shown next to the beach name, starting with 1992 and finishing with 1997.

Caring for our Coastline
As well as organising the Seaside Awards, Tidy Britain Group encourages all beach-users to care for their environment. Look out for ways in which you can support your seaside; take your litter home with you, join in with a beach litter-pick or walk and cycle to the beach rather than taking your car. Find out about the natural environment by going on a guided walk and reading display boards about local wildlife. Remember... Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints, waste nothing but time.

For further information about Weymouth's Seaside Award, Email us at tourism@wpbc.weymouth.gov.uk and quote "Seaside Award". Telephone the Beach Control Office on 01305 765224 or International +44 1305 765224

BEACH CONTROL CENTRE - WEYMOUTH BEACH

This Centre is located above the Tourist Information Centre on the Promenade and operates the daily Beach, Esplanade and Inshore Water supervision during the Summer Season, making sure our visitors enjoy Weymouth's superb natural assets and comprehensive range of facilities.

From Beach Control Points at several locations along the beach, suntraps and deckchairs can be hired - weekly deckchair tickets are available too at a discounted price, plus sun care leaflets, Beach Safety Leaflets and Poop-a-Scoops are also available from these points.