250 bins, beach cleaners and council teams on patrol every 20 minutes – the real story behind the Skegness clean-up operation
With 250 litter bins along the foreshore, crews emptying them every 20 minutes during peak periods and daily beach cleaning operations throughout the summer, keeping Skegness looking its best is a huge undertaking.
That is the reality behind the scenes of one of Britain's busiest seaside resorts – and why East Lindsey District Council has again retained its Blue Flag Beach status for cleanliness.
So it is a massive disappointment for those involved when a survey based on Tripadvisor reviews ranking Skegness Beach as Britain's most littered beach for the second year running hits the headlines.
The report by waste management specialists BusinessWaste.co.uk analysed Tripadvisor reviews from beaches across the UK and found 64 mentions of litter among 1,006 reviews of Skegness Beach.
It claimed 4.94 per cent of reviews referred to litter issues, placing Skegness ahead of Margate Main Sands in Kent and Formby Beach in Merseyside.
However, East Lindsey District Council says the figures do not reflect the scale of the operation carried out every day.
Along the foreshore and promenade alone there are around 250 litter bins. During the summer season, these are emptied between 10 and 15 times a day, with collections increased to every 20 to 30 minutes during peak periods including school holidays and bank holiday weekends.
During particularly busy times, five additional 1,100-litre Euro bins are placed on the promenade near Central Beach to provide extra capacity and encourage visitors to dispose of waste responsibly.
The beach itself is surf-raked daily during the summer season, while signs along the foreshore remind visitors to use the facilities provided and dispose of litter correctly.
Across Skegness, council teams manage around 500 litter and dog waste bins, alongside daily litter-picking operations to maintain cleanliness standards.
Coun Martin Foster, East Lindsey District Council's Portfolio Holder for Operational Services, said: "We are incredibly proud of the standards we maintain across Skegness, particularly along the foreshore and our award-winning Blue Flag beach.
"Our teams work tirelessly throughout the busiest and challenging periods of the year. With significant waste facilities in place and crews servicing them frequently throughout the day, we make it as easy as possible for visitors to dispose of their rubbish responsibly."
The council also highlighted ongoing work to improve the appearance of the resort, including seasonal planting, flower displays and investment projects.
Summer bedding is planted in June, spring displays in October, while 100 railing troughs from the Clock Tower to North Car Park and tiered planters along the foreshore add colour throughout the season.
Coun Foster added: "Alongside this, our daily beach cleaning programme and ongoing investment in planting and public spaces help ensure Skegness remains a welcoming, vibrant destination for residents and tourists alike.
"Seasonal floral displays and continued improvements backed by investment funding are all part of our commitment to keeping the area looking its very best."
The council says education and enforcement also play an important role in tackling littering.
Since April 1, officers have issued 64 Fixed Penalty Notices to individuals for littering offences in the Skegness area, with the aim of changing behaviour and encouraging people to take responsibility for their surroundings.
Coun Foster said: "It's encouraging to see such positive feedback from the public recognising these efforts, but we also continue to take a firm approach where needed.
"Education and enforcement remain an important tool in tackling littering and encouraging respectful behaviour, supporting our wider ambition to keep East Lindsey clean, safe and enjoyable for everyone."
Local photographer John Byford, who regularly captures images of the Skegness coastline, believes the he has seen has improvment in the management of litter on the beach in past few months.
He said: "I believe the rubbish situation has improved since last year. With visitor numbers remaining strong, it’s inevitable that more people will generate more waste, but that doesn’t mean litter should be left behind.
"People cannot expect others to clear up after them. Leaving rubbish doesn’t ‘keep someone in work’ – it simply spoils the beach and seafront for everyone else.
"We all have a responsibility to look after our coastline and leave it as we would wish to find it.
"I do think the council could look at providing bigger bins though – it’s very well having ones that look attractive and are inkeeping with the heritage of the town, but they fill up very quickly and at peak times it’s an impossible task.”
BusinessWaste.co.uk defended its research, explaining that the ranking was based on the proportion of Tripadvisor reviews mentioning litter rather than a direct inspection of beaches.
Jack Clifford from BusinessWaste.co.uk said: "The research is not saying that 64 reviews represent every visitor experience, or that Skegness beach is consistently littered.
"Within the Tripadvisor data we analysed, Skegness had the highest adjusted rate of litter-related mentions among the beaches included in the study.
"The research is not intended as an assessment of council performance or Blue Flag standards. It reflects how often visitors have publicly referenced litter when reviewing the beach."
Despite the ranking, the report acknowledged that many visitors continue to describe Skegness as a great family day out, praising its attractions, hospitality and traditional seaside atmosphere.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Residents and visitors who want to play their part in keeping Skegness looking its best are being invited to join a community litter pick next weekend.
The event, organised by County Care, will take place on Saturday, July 4, starting at 9am from the RNLI Lifeboat Station on the seafront.
Volunteers are welcome to come along and help collect litter from the beach and surrounding areas. Equipment will be provided, with hot and cold drinks and cakes available for those taking part.
Community litter picks are welcomed by the council as an important way of supporting the work already carried out by cleaning teams and encouraging pride in the town.
Anyone wishing to get involved is invited to turn up on the day and lend a hand.