COUNTRY parks in Dorset have been recognised as some of the UK’s best with several receiving a Green Flag Award.
After a record-breaking year, Dorset Council is celebrating after receiving several of the 2,208 Green Flag Awards for its Avon Heath, Durlston, Stour Meadows, The Milldown, Thorncombe Woods, Black Heath and Hardy's Birthplace country parks.
The award is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.
Durlston Country Park has also achieved the Green Heritage Site Accreditation, supported by Historic England, for the management of its historic features.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for highways, travel and environment, said: “This is a fantastic result, and an important reminder of how important our country parks and greenspaces are to the public and visitors to Dorset.
“They are places where we can all enjoy wildlife, landscape, outdoor activities of Dorset or just catching up with friends in the fresh air.
“Winning these awards is recognition of what superb parks we have and a way of saying thank you to the hard-working employees and volunteers that maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”
The award scheme is managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy. The charity’s accreditation manager Paul Todd added: “Country parks are vital green spaces for the community in Dorset. This award is testament to all the hard work of staff and volunteers, who do so much to ensure that it maintains the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”
A full list of award-winning parks and green spaces can be found on the Keep Britain Tidy website.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here