Southampton City Council is celebrating after receiving a Green Flag Award for the three new parks.
Last year, Mayfield Park and Peartree Green achieved Green Flag Award accreditation and joined the six other Green Flag parks in Southampton.
Today, Southampton now has 11 parks that have Green Flag Award status, making it a record breaking year.
The news that Mansel Park, Miller's Pond and Cedar Lodge Park have achieved the accreditation - the international quality mark for parks and green spaces - is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team that care for the green space so that visitors and residents alike can enjoy it.
Councillor John Savage, Cabinet Member for Green City and Net Zero at Southampton City Council, said:
“This year, four more parks were nominated for the Green Flag Award and I am delighted that three of our much-loved parks were successful in winning the prestigious award. 11 of our parks now have Green Flag Awards, making it a record-breaking year for our parks.
“I would like to thank all staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to look after our parks and green spaces, winning the awards would not be possible without your hard work.
"Weston Shore was not successful in winning a Green Flag Award this year, however, our wonderful parks and volunteers team will continue to work towards the accolade of the Green Flag Award".
Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, Paul Todd MBE, said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved at Mansel Park, Millers Pond and Cedar Lodge Park on achieving a Green Flag Award.
“The three parks provide a vital green space for communities in Southampton to socialise, enjoy nature, for children to play safely and 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 spaces 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.”
Some Background
The Green Flag Award Scheme is run by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, in partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful, Keep Wales Tidy and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.
Any green space 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 Award status.
A Green Flag Community 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.
Keep Britain Tidy is a leading environmental charity. We set the standard for the management of parks and beaches, inspire people to be litter-free, to waste less and live more sustainably.
They run campaigns and programmes including the Great British Spring Clean, Eco-Schools, Love Parks Week, Buy Nothing New Month, Eco-Schools, the Green Flag Award for parks and green spaces, the Blue Flag/Seaside Awards for beaches and blue spaces, and the Green Key for sustainable tourism and hospitality.
To find out more about Keep Britain Tidy, campaigns and programmes visit the website.
