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Flintshire County Council - Countryside Parks achieves prestigious Green Flag Award

Published: 16/07/2018

Keep Wales Tidy has unveiled this year’s Green Flag Award winners – the international mark of a quality park or green space. A record-breaking 201 parks and green spaces, including universities, cemeteries, woodlands and allotments across Wales have met the high standards needed to receive the coveted Green Flag Award and Green Flag Community Award. The Flags will be flying at Greenfield Valley and Wepre Park in recognition of their excellent facilities and commitment to delivering great quality green space. Greenfield Valley and Wepre Park are both rich in history, and wildlife. They are highly valued spaces within our local community and to receive this Award for 2018/19 is an honor. Wepre Park is 160 acres of green space, nestled in the heart of Connahs Quay, Flintshire, it is a unique setting with its various habitats and geology. Features of the park include; Old Hall Gardens, Fishing Pond, Brook and Waterfall and Ewloe Castle for the public to discover. Greenfield Valley Heritage Park is situated in Holywell, Flintshire and encompasses 70 acres of industrial history. Historically Greenfield Valley employed hundreds of people in both its copper factories and cotton mills and is now fabulous open green space. The Valley is home to a number of scheduled ancient monuments and is a haven for wildlife. Both Wepre Park and Greenfield Valley are quality Parks Flintshire are proud of, accessible for the community explore and enjoy. Gwladys Harrison, Chair of Greenfield valley Trust said; The staff and Board of Trustees are very proud of Greenfield Valley, one of the jewels in the crown of Flintshire and are honoured to have achieved this award for another year. It’s is a highly valued Award and reflects the quality of our local green spaces. We would like to encourage all of the community this summer to get outdoors and enjoy our natural spaces.“ Cllr. Carolyn Thomas, Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Countryside said; “We are honoured to receive the Green Flag award for both Greenfield Valley and Wepre Park. Flintshire parks are of excellent quality and a valued part of our community. I would like to thank all volunteers and staff who work hard to maintain these high standards and allow us to fly the ‘Green Flag’. The diverse range of wildlife and historic features of these parks are of great interest to residents and tourists and are a credit to Flintshire. I would encourage everyone to get outdoors this summer, discover our local heritage and explore our natural green spaces.” The Green Flag Award programme is delivered in Wales by environmental charity, Keep Wales Tidy, with support from Welsh Government. It is judged by green space experts, who volunteer their time to visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, including horticultural standards, cleanliness, environmental management and community involvement. Lucy Prisk, Green Flag Coordinator at Keep Wales Tidy said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Awards in Wales. The 201 flags flying are a testament to the dedication and enthusiasm of the staff and volunteers across the country who work tirelessly to maintain Green Flag Award standards. “I’d encourage everyone to get outdoors this summer and enjoy the incredible parks and green spaces we have on our doorstep.” A full list of award winners can be found on the Keep Wales Tidy website www.keepwalestidy.cymru/greenflag You can put your park or green space on the map by getting involved too. Visit the Keep Wales Tidy website www.keepwalestidy.cymru for more information. Notes to editors 1. For more information please contact:– countryside@flintshire.gov.uk 01352703900 or info@greenfieldvalley.com 01352 714172 2. For more information please contact Lucy Prisk, Green Flag Coordinator on 029 20726964 / 07469 118876 or email lucy.prisk@keepwalestidy.cymru 3. For communications support please contact Amy Lloyd on 029 20726985 / 07875 662803 or email amy.lloyd@keepwalestidy.cymru 4. Keep Wales Tidy is a registered environmental charity working for the improvement of Wales’ local environments. Visit our website for more information: www.keepwalestidy.cymru 5. The Green Flag Award gives recognition to parks that have demonstrated the high standards of the Green Flag Award. Emphasis is also placed on local community involvement in the ongoing and long-term care of the award park. 6. A UK-wide partnership led by Keep Britain Tidy has been awarded the license to run the Green Flag Award scheme until September 2017. Keep Britain Tidy will manage the overall scheme under license from the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) and will continue to manage day–to-day operations in England, with delivery in the other nations being overseen by its sister charities Keep Wales Tidy, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Keep Scotland Beautiful 7.For more information about the Green Flag Award in Wales visit www.keepwalestidy.cymru/greenflag 8. To apply, visit the Keep Wales Tidy website www.keepwalestidy.cymru/greenflag or contact Lucy Prisk, Green Flag Coordinator on 029 20726964 / 07469 118876 or email lucy.prisk@keepwalestidy.cymru