Royal Albert Dock is officially leading the way in setting high environmental standards after receiving a prestigious Blue Flag award from charity Keep Britain Tidy.
The dock and its nearest neighbour Salthouse Dock retained the iconic award, making it the only marina in England to be given the accolade.
A Blue Flag is usually awarded to beaches in recognition of cleanliness, safety and attention to environmental issues, and this year 77 beaches across the country have met the benchmark, with 11 here in the North West.
Liverpool’s historic docks are the only attraction of their kind to qualify for one. They are home to a wide variety of wildlife including thousands of blue mussels, hundreds of eels and, in the summer, thousands of moon jellyfish.
In order to gain a Blue Flag, beaches, marinas and sustainable tourism boats must meet and maintain a series of strict environmental, educational, safety and accessibility standards.
Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, Allison Ogden-Newton said: “Visitors to a beach flying a Blue Flag or Seaside Award can be assured the beach will be clean, safe and meet the highest environmental standards, as well as international bathing water quality standards.
“The Blue Flag is the world’s most recognised award for beaches and marinas and, to qualify, each applicant must meet and maintain a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility criteria.”
Sean Morrison, Estate Manager for Royal Albert Dock adds “We’re delighted that for the third year the Blue Flag has been awarded, our partnership with Canal & River Trust continues to go from strength to strength. The docks sit within the boundary of Royal Albert Dock, owned by RADL, partnership and collaboration is key in the approach to cleanliness around the estate and the sustainable maintenance of the historic dock walls.”