Date: 22/07/2008
Manor Park and Howard Park, in Glossop, and Pavilion Gardens, in Buxton, managed by High Peak Borough Council, have all won the prestigious national standard of a Green Flag Award.
Pavilion Gardens (pictured right) is the only park in the East Midlands to achieve the higher standard of the Green Heritage Award.
The award assesses performance against a wide range of 27 different criteria -- including overall management, community involvement, future planning and standards of maintenance and cleanliness.
The judges were particularly impressed with how the Council works in partnership with the community, including Friends groups and Buxton in Bloom. They were also impressed by the maintenance standards across all of the parks, which were higher than the normal level required to obtain these awards.
John Haken, Executive Councillor for the Environment, and Trevor Zoppi, Chairman of Pavilion Gardens Friends Group, together with members of the parks and environment team, will be attending an awards ceremony in Liverpool this Thursday.
Councillor Haken said: "The Council has utilised the demanding criteria from the Green Flag to improve the way it manages its parks. Working with community groups, particularly the Friends of our parks has helped us to understand and meet local needs and achieve these high standards."
The Green Flag Award scheme, launched in 1996, is managed by the Civic Trust, on behalf of Communities and Local Government and the Green Flag Advisory Board, which comprises founders of the scheme, sponsors, winners and judges. It is sponsored by Communities and Local Government, English Heritage, the Countryside Agency, English Nature and, in Wales, by the Countryside Council for Wales, the Design Commission for Wales, Environment Agency Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government.
Any green space, that is freely accessible to the public, is eligible to enter for a Green Flag Award. Awards are given annually, and winners must apply each year to renew their Green Flag status. A Green Pennant Award recognises quality sites, managed by voluntary and community groups. Green Heritage Site accreditation is judged on the treatment of the site's historic features and the standard of conservation.
This year, 72 community-run sites received a Green Pennant Award and 42 Green Flag Award sites achieved Green Heritage Site Accreditation.
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 more than 250,000 individuals, committed to improving and caring for places where people live and work. Visit their website, www.civictrust.org.uk (external website**) for more information.
Photos: Pavilion Gardens (top right) in Buxton, Howard Park (above middle) in Glossop and Manor Park (bottom right) in Glossop.
**Please note: High Peak Borough Council is not responsible for the content of any external websites.