Bracknell Forest Council has once again seen three of its parks awarded prestigious Green Flags.
Pope’s Meadow in Binfield has retained its Green Flag for an impressive ninth consecutive year. Lilly Hill Park in Bullbrook has also been awarded a Green Flag for the third year running, following a £2 million restoration project completed in 2008.
Meanwhile, Bracknell Forest Council and Sandhurst Town Council were jointly presented with the award for Sandhurst Memorial Park and Shepherd Meadows for the seventh year running, following their ongoing partnership.
The Green Flag is a national standard for parks and recognises the best green spaces in the country. The accreditation was awarded on Wednesday, July 22, when a total of 917 Green Flags were presented across the country.
The judges’ criteria include making the park a welcoming place; it should be healthy, safe, and secure; and be clean and well maintained. They also look at conservation and heritage, community involvement, marketing and management.
Richard Walton, head of Bracknell parks and countryside, said:" We are delighted that these three parks continue to be recognised by the Green Flag judges.
"Our team works very hard to maintain all our green spaces, so we are really pleased to have three Green Flags flying in parks managed by Bracknell Forest Council, especially one managed in partnership. Everyone involved should be extremely proud of this achievement.”
Cllr Iain McCracken, executive member for Bracknell culture, corporate services and public protection said: "It is fantastic to see that our parks have yet again retained their Green Flags, especially Pope’s Meadow which continues to be a high achiever with an unbroken nine years in a row.
"Our parks and open spaces are one of the top three reasons why people like living in Bracknell Forest. As residents we can be proud that our local award-winning parks have been listed as three of the country’s best green spaces. Congratulations to our staff and partners for this achievement long may it continue."
Bracknell Forest Council