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Wepre Park and Greenfield Valley named as two of the country’s best green spaces
Published: 14/10/2021
Keep Wales Tidy has unveiled this year’s Green Flag Award winners – the international mark of a quality park or green space.
The Flags will be flying at Greenfield Valley and Wepre Park in recognition of their excellent visitor facilities, high environmental standards, and commitment to delivering great quality green space.
Greenfield Valley and Wepre Park are both rich in history, and wildlife. They have become a hub for local people for recreation supporting wellbeing throughout this pandemic, they are held in high regard within our local community and to receive this Award for 2021/22 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 to explore and enjoy.
Flintshire’s Leader, Councillor Ian Roberts, said:
“Yet again we are honoured to receive the Green Flag award for both Greenfield Valley and Wepre Park. Flintshire’s natural spaces have shone through as an highly valued excellent quality resource for local people. I would like to extend my thanks to all volunteers and staff who work hard to maintain these high standards and allow us to fly the ‘Green Flag’ at our parks. 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. Enjoy our local green spaces which are a delight as the seasons change and discover more about our local heritage safely.”
Gwladys Harrison, Chair of Greenfield valley Trust said;
"The staff, volunteers and Board of Trustees are very proud of Greenfield Valley. We consider it to be a jewels in the crown of Flintshire and are delighted to have achieved this award which reflects the quality of this natural space. We would like to encourage all of the community this Autumn to get outdoors and enjoy our local natural spaces safely.“
248 parks and green spaces across the country have received the prestigious Green Flag Award and Green Flag Community Award – from country parks and formal gardens, to allotments, woodlands and churchyards.
The Green Flag Award programme is delivered in Wales by environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy, with support from Welsh Government. Independent green space experts volunteered their time in early autumn to judge applicant sites against eight strict criteria, including biodiversity, cleanliness, environmental management, and community involvement.
Julie James, the Welsh Government’s Minister for Climate Change, said: “Green spaces are vital for mental and physical well-being and throughout the pandemic we have seen how important these spaces have been for local communities.
“Wales still holds more than a third of the UK’s Green Flag community sites and it is fantastic to see more places in Wales receiving Green Flag Award and Green Flag Community Award.
“These landscapes play a vital role in delivering rich ecosystems and vibrant and resilient communities, and I congratulate all of the sites for providing excellent, year-round facilities and events for people in Wales.”
Lucy Prisk, Green Flag Coordinator at Keep Wales Tidy said:
“The pandemic showed us just how important high-quality parks and green spaces are to our communities. With more visitors than ever enjoying our green spaces, I’d like to congratulate the hard work of staff and volunteers who have maintained excellent standards at these sites.”
A full list of award winners can be found on the Keep Wales Tidy website www.keepwalestidy.cymru
