Liverpool's Royal Albert and Salthouse Dock retains Blue Flag Marina status

Liverpool's iconic Royal Albert Dock and Salthouse Dock have retained a prestigious accolade that was awarded to them in 2021.

Last year, the docks became the recipients of England’s first ever international Blue Flag award for their outstanding water quality and safety.

Waterways and wellbeing charity Canal & River Trust, which looks after 36 hectares of waterways at the Royal Albert Dock complex, received top marks for outstanding water quality, high standards of environmental information, management, safety, and boating services.

The Liverpool waterfront has seen a dramatic change over the past few decades, moving away from its industrial past and moving towards creating a leisure and hospitality that attracts tourists from across the world.

But the water quality also means that it has become an unlikely place for wildlife to thrive with thousands of blue mussels, two-metre-long European conger eels, moon jellyfish, swans and cormorants inhibiting the area.

The Liverpool docklands is the only location in the north west of England to achieve a Blue Flag status in 2022, but a number of locations on the Fylde coast were award Seaside Awards this year.

The Seaside Awards celebrate the quality and diversity of our coastline and the north west recipients this year were; 

Morecambe North, Morecambe South, St Annes Pier, Ferry Beach, Fleetwood, Marine Beach, Fleetwood, Jubilee Beach, Cleveleys, Rossall Beach, Bispham, Blackpool North, Blackpool Central and Blackpool South.

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