Stonefield Park, and Stone cemetery, have once again been recognised by their receipt of Green Flag awards from the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.
The two Stone venues add to four other venues across Stafford Borough, as being listed among the best parks and open spaces in the UK.
Stonefield Park is celebrating their seventh success, with the town’s cemetery bringing up a fourth award
Victoria Park in Stafford collected a 16th consecutive ‘Green Flag’ whilst the crematorium on the town’s Tixall Road makes it in for an eleventh time, The 160-year-old cemetery at Eccleshall Road claimed its fifth flag.
Finally, Wildwood Park in Stafford made it a hattrick – by retaining the flag they won for the first time in 2020.
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, 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.
And the Stafford Borough sites were among more than 2200 UK winners this year of an award which is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.
Councillor Mark Winnington, Cabinet Member for Environment at the council, said:
“Yet again our six venues have been named as part of the ‘Green Flag’ club and this is a tremendous achievement – with thanks to the excellent work, both on the ground and behind the scenes, to ensure we retain these awards.
“We know how well the grounds of our parks and cemeteries are kept because residents and visitors tell us – and they are our most important judges. But receiving national recognition is further demonstration of the care and hard work that goes into these green spaces.”
He added: “Our community are also instrumental in helping us achieve this success – especially the ‘Friends’ groups that support the work of the council at these sites.”
Commenting on the news that the venues in Stafford Borough had met the Green Flag Award standard, Keep Britain Tidy’s Accreditation Manager Paul Todd, said:
“I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making these sites worthy of a Green Flag Award.
“They are vital green spaces for the community in Stafford Borough. 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.”
Any green space that is freely accessible to the public is eligible to enter the scheme, with Green Flag Awards presented each year.
