Date:
6th November 2003Contact:
Sarah EgertonOrganisation:
The Civic Trust
The 2003 winners of the national standard for parks and green spaces, the Green Flag Award, were announced today at a ceremony in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Nearly 200 green spaces across England and Wales have achieved the standard – a huge increase on the first year of the award scheme, 1997, when only 7 Green Flags were awarded. In total, 182 green spaces – 57 more than this year – will be flying a Green Flag throughout 2004. Town centre parks and recreation grounds, formal gardens, country parks, nature reserves and woodlands have all been recognised for their standards of park management and contribution to the quality of life.
Every single region of England has seen increases in the number of accredited parks and green spaces in their area. The North West has the highest number of Green Flag sites, and 58 flags will be flying there next year – an increase of 18. Wales, now in its second year of Green Flag, will also be flying additional flags in both Cardiff and Swansea.
Karen Lewis, Green Flag Award Manager at the Civic Trust, commented: “The Green Flag Award scheme is going from strength to strength, which is just fantastic. Green spaces play a vital role for quality of life and civic pride, and there is an increasing awareness, at all levels, of their value. The Green Flag Award is the benchmark for parks, and it is extremely encouraging that we have been able to reward more parks this year.”
The Green Flag Award scheme is the national standard for parks and green spaces. It is managed by The Civic Trust, and CABE Space is the main funding partner. The scheme recognises the value of green spaces to communities, particularly in urban areas, and rewards excellent standards of green space management.
Julia Thrift, Director of CABE Space, said: “This year’s 45% increase in Green Flag winning parks is a tribute to all the hard work of park managers across the country, and we are delighted to see the scheme growing so rapidly. With new resources from the government, and the support of CABE Space I look forward to seeing the scheme continue to grow, so that even more people across the country can enjoy the benefits of award-winning parks.’
Winners of the Green Pennant Award and Green Heritage Site Status, additional schemes under the Green Flag Award umbrella, were also announced today.
18 community green spaces have been rewarded this year with a Green Pennant. This award, now in its second year, is exclusively for green spaces managed by voluntary and community groups. Reclaimed waste ground, a restored glass house and a city farm, amongst other community spaces, have been recognised.
Green Heritage Site accreditation is new this year, and applies exclusively to Green Flag Award winners. It is sponsored by English Heritage and promotes the care and upkeep of parks and green spaces in England that are of historical interest. The judges have granted four sites Heritage Site accreditation this year: Epping Forest and Farthing Downs in London, Dane John in Canterbury and Castle Park in Colchester, which also gains a second Green Flag.
NOTES FOR EDITORS Contact Laura Sangster at the Civic Trust on 020 7389 1381 or . Photographs of the award ceremonies will be availble and photography is being provided by Zest Images Ltd, http://www.zestimages.com FACTS AND FIGURES The list of award winning sites is attached (Green Flag/Green Pennant/Green Heritage). There are 72 first time Green Flags awarded this year. These are marked in the list. Only 6 parks have been Green Flag accredited since the scheme began in 1997. Hall Place House & Gardens, Bexley Heritage Trust in partnership with Bexley Council, Greater London Highgate Wood, Corporation of London, Greater London Queen’s Park, Corporation of London, Greater London Worden Park, South Ribble Borough Council, North West Queen Mary Gardens, Carrick District Council, South West Cockington Country Park, Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust, South West 9 green spaces have gained a Green Flag this year after previously failing to meet the criteria: Victoria Park, Nottingham City Council, East Midlands Acton Park, London Borough of Ealing, Greater London Court Hey Park, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, North West Ashton Park, Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, North West Coalshaw Green Park, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, North West Halecroft Park, Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council, North West Westmorland Park, Bracknell Forest Borough Council, South East Frimley Lodge, Surrey Heath Borough Council, South East Malvern and Brueton Park, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, West Midlands 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 2003 Green Flag Award winners will therefore be flying their flags throughout 2004. 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. The Green Pennant Award recognises high quality green spaces in England and Wales that are managed by voluntary and community groups. There are seven criteria – a welcoming place; healthy, safe and secure; well maintained and clean; environmental sustainability; biodiversity and heritage; community involvement and the achievements of the group. Green Heritage Site accreditation is judged on the treatment of the site’s historic features and the standard of conservation. Sites must be at least 30 years old. A site must first pass the judging criteria for the Green Flag Award before being considered for Green Heritage Site accreditation (though sites can apply for both in the same year). THE ORGANISATIONS The Civic Trust, the country’s leading urban environment charity, manages the Green Flag Award scheme. The Trust’s aim is to inspire and promote progressive improvements in the quality of urban life for everyone, and the Green Flag Award scheme is a key part of that objective. 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. Contact Anna Penning-Rowsell at CABE Space, 020 7960 2467, . The Green Flag Award scheme was started in 1996 by a group of individuals who were passionate about green spaces. Since 1996, these individuals, representing a range of key organisations, worked as the Green Flag Award Steering Group. In 2003, the scheme was gifted to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, who handed the strategic operation to CABE Space. It is the national standard for parks and green spaces. The Civic Trust is the umbrella body for 850 Civic Societies across the country – representing 250,000 individuals concerned with the built environment – and campaigns on urban policy on their behalf. It offers a range of consultancy services, such as the innovative Centre Vision programme to regenerate town centres, and capacity building training for community activists. It sets and rewards high standards for the urban environment through award schemes – the Civic Trust awards for architecture, and the Green Flag Award scheme for parks and green spaces. It also manages Heritage Open Days, the country’s largest volunteering event. Civic Focus is the Trust’s quarterly magazine on urban design and community regeneration. http://www.civictrust.org.uk or call 020 7930 0914.
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)
