The three 'fantastic' parks and green spaces in Portsmouth awarded green flags
Three of the city’s ‘fantastic’ green spaces have been names as green flag winners by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.
Baffins Pond has held the award every year since 2011 and Milton Park and Southsea Rock Garden since 2012, with all three cared for by the Portsmouth City Council.
Cllr Lee Hunt, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Leisure & Sport said: "We know how important it is that residents and visitors to the city have parks and green spaces to enjoy, so I'm pleased we have once again received this recognition. I'd like to thank our fantastic parks team for everything they do to maintain all the green spaces in the city, and also every single person that does their bit to keep them clean for all.
"And a special thanks to so many volunteers citywide who work hard to look after Portsmouth’s green and open spaces from the hill to the sea."
Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, Paul Todd MBE, said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in Portsmouth on achieving a Green Flag Award. These parks are vital green spaces for communities in Portsmouth to socialise, enjoy nature, and for children to play safely. They provide important opportunities for park users to improve their physical and mental health.
"We know that staff and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that the parks maintain the high standards of the Green Flag Award, everyone involved should feel extremely proud of their achievement.
"It is important that our free to use spaces are maintained to the Green Flag Award standard, making them accessible for all members of the community while ensuring the environment is protected.”
The three city parks are not the only ones to have received a green flag in Hampshire with a number of other sites in the county also receiving the accolade including five country parks in the south of the county.
Lepe, River Hamble, Royal Victoria, Queen Elizabeth, and Staunton Country Parks have all once again regained Green Flag status for their excellent facilities and amazing outdoor spaces. Staunton Country Park and Royal Victoria Country Park have also once again won Green Heritage Accreditation for the management of the sites’ unique historic features - Lepe Country Park has also secured the heritage accolade this year for the first time.
On top of this, Holly Hill Woodland Park has now received the Green Flag Award for 17 consecutive years, while the Sensory Garden in Fareham town centre can boast its 15 year in a row of receiving the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.