SWT retains Green Flag Awards
27 July 2022 : Council news, Community, Sport and leisure, Environment
Somerset West and Taunton’s parks and open spaces have retained their ranking as some of the very best in the country thanks to the hard work of the Council’s teams and local volunteers.
Seven parks across the district have been recognised with the international mark of quality by the Green Flag Award Scheme this year.
Blenheim Gardens in Minehead and Taunton’s Vivary, Victoria and French Weir Parks have retained their Green Flags, along with Wellington Park which also kept its Green Flag Heritage Award,
Comeytrowe Park, Taunton, managed jointly by the Council and the Friends of Comeytrowe Park, retained its Community Green Flag Award along with Swains Lane Nature Reserve in Wellington, which is managed by the Swains Lane Community Group.
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.
Cllr Derek Perry, Executive Member for Sports, Parks and Leisure, said: “I’m delighted that we have retained all our awards this year.
"Achieving these Green Flag Awards shows that by working together our staff and wonderful volunteers can make our green spaces such great places for everyone to enjoy.
“The Council knows how important these places are for our residents and visitors especially during the last two years and has invested extra funds recently to make them some of the best in the country.
“SWT is one of the most successful Councils in terms of the number of parks which it maintains to achieve the awards.
"They are a sign that our parks and open spaces boast the highest possible standards and the Council is very proud that they are enjoyed, respected and valued by our residents and visitors.”
Keep Britain Tidy’s Accreditation Manager Paul Todd said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making these parks and open spaces worthy of a Green Flag Award.
“The awards are testament to all the hard work of staff and volunteers, who do so much to ensure they maintains the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”
A full list of winning parks and green spaces is available on the Green Flag Award website.