Date:
4th November 2004Contact:
Sarah EgertonOrganisation:
The Civic Trust
More people than ever before are able to enjoy top quality parks, say urban environment charity The Civic Trust and government parks champion CABE Space – and the proof is that a record number of parks across England and Wales have received a Green Flag Award 2005.
253 parks from Cockington Country Park in Torbay, Devon, to Carlisle Park in Morpeth, Northumberland have been judged welcoming, safe, well maintained and valued places for locals and visitors alike, and will be flying Green Flags in 2005. From 4 November, the 253 green spaces – all of which provide free public access – will be listed on the dedicated website at http://www.greenflagaward.org.uk
The awards – announced at a ceremony on 4 November, following judging during the summer – are given annually. All kinds of green spaces, not only traditional city parks, can fly a Green Flag. This year winners range from town centre parks and gardens to recreation grounds, country parks, nature reserves, woodlands and cemeteries. All of these sites have shown a commitment to sustainability and involvement of its local community.
Paul Todd, Green Flag Award Manager at The Civic Trust said, “Good green spaces increase the quality of peoples’ lives, particularly in built up areas where not everyone has access to a garden. A good park is a place to play, to meet, to learn, to relax - and the perfect place to incorporate exercise into a busy lifestyle. Above all, it provides the ideal focal point for its surrounding residents, bringing its local community together like nothing else can. Green Flag Award winners should fly the flag with pride.”
Congratulating the winners, Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Phil Hope MP added, “It’s fantastic to see that there are more Green Flag Award winners than ever before. High quality parks and green spaces are central to the Government’s commitment to cleaner, safer, greener communities and the Green Flag Award is the benchmark of the standard we want to see.
“We must never underestimate the importance of green spaces in creating balanced, sustainable communities. This year’s winners should be proud of creating and maintaining spaces that are of such value to the whole community - places where people can relax, exercise and play. I would call on others to follow in their footsteps and strive to make their parks and green spaces Green Flag winners too.”
Julia Thrift, Director of CABE Space, the government’s parks champion, said, “We are delighted to see such a rapid growth in the number of parks and green spaces receiving Green Flag awards. This shows that local authorities and other organisations caring for parks and public spaces really do want to create cleaner, safer, greener spaces that the whole community can use and enjoy, and recognise that the Green Flag Awards scheme can help them to deliver these spaces, and drive up standards.”
The Green Flag Award scheme recognises the value of green spaces to communities and quality of life, particularly in urban areas, and recognises parks staff and managing organisations that are dedicated to providing excellent green spaces for the community. It is the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales, managed by the Civic Trust, with CABE Space as main funding partner.
NOTES TO EDITORS Contact Laura Sangster, Communications Manager at the Civic Trust on 020 7170 4295 or ; or Anna Penning Rowsell at CABE Space 020 7960 2467 Pictures of all award-winning parks are available. Photography is provided by Zest Images Ltd, http://www.zestimages.com Regional Green Flag Award Judges are available for interview. ODPM Minister Phil Hope MP will be attending the Green Flag Awards Ceremony – Northern Winners, in Preston on 18 November 2004. FACTS AND FIGURES The list of award winning sites is attached, and is listed by region. There are 83 first time Green Flag Award winners this year. These are marked in the attached list. ENTRY AND JUDGING CRITERIA Any Green Space in England and Wales that is freely accessible to the public is eligible to enter for a Green Flag Award. Awards are given on an annual basis and winners must apply each year to renew their Green Flag status. Sites are judged in May or June each year and the winners are announced in November. Winners fly their Green Flag throughout the next calendar year. The 2004 Green Flag Award winners will therefore be flying their flags throughout 2005. There are eight criteria which Green Flag Award judges assess – a welcoming place; healthy, safe and secure; well maintained and clean; sustainability; conservation and heritage; community involvement; marketing; and management. There are two additional awards under the Green Flag Award umbrella: Green Heritage Site accreditation is judged on the treatment of the site’s historic features and the standard of conservation. A site must first pass the judging criteria for the Green Flag Award before being considered (though sites can apply for both in the same year) – 7 sites have achieved Green Heritage Site accreditation this year and will be announced on 4 November. Green Pennant Award recognises high quality green spaces in England and Wales that are managed by voluntary and community groups, and 27 winners will be announced on 4 November. THE ORGANISATIONS The Civic Trust is an independent, national charity, founded in 1957. It works with people to promote thriving towns and villages, developing partnerships between communities, government and business to deliver regeneration and local improvement. It is the umbrella body for 850 civic societies across the country, representing over 250,000 individuals committed to improving and caring for places where people live and work. http://www.civictrust.org.uk or contact Laura Sangster on: 0207 170 4295, CABE Space is the national champion for parks and public spaces. CABE Space aims to bring excellence to the design, management and maintenance of parks and public space in our towns and cities. Established in 2003, CABE Space is part of CABE, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, which champions the quality of our buildings and spaces. CABE Space is the main funding partner of the Green Flag Award scheme. http://www.cabespace.org.uk or contact Anna Penning-Rowsell at CABE Space, 020 7960 2467, . The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) is a key supporter of the Green Flag Award Scheme as part of the Government's drive to create "cleaner, safer, greener communities". Through CABE Space, ODPM is the primary funding partner of the Green Flag Award Scheme. Phil Hope is Parliamentary under Secretary at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. For more information go to http://www.cleanersafergreener.gov.uk or http://www.odpm.gov.uk. Alternatively contact Matthew Wells at ODPM, 020 7944 4613,
East Midlands (56)Eastern (55)Greater London (151)North East (42)North West (196)South East (75)South West (52)West Midlands (42)Yorkshire & Humberside (45)Wales (19)Scotland (5)Northern Ireland (3)Republic of Ireland (1)Netherlands (2)Green Heritage Site Winners (42)Green Pennant Award Winners (73)Special Awards for Innovation Winners (7)
