17 July 2007
Waving the Green Flag: City Open Spaces success in Green Flag
& Heritage Site awards
Open spaces owned and managed by the City of London Corporation
have been awarded a record number of 14 Green Flags - the national
standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales – and five
sites given Green Heritage Site status in an announcement made
today (Tuesday 17 July) by the Civic Trust.
This year Ashtead Common is the latest City of London open space
to be awarded Green Heritage Site status, bringing the City’s total
to five. Along with Epping Forest, Burnham Beeches, Highgate Wood
and the City of London Cemetery, Ashtead Common has been awarded
the status for the treatment of the site’s historic features and
the high standard of conservation. The City of London Corporation
is the only organisation with more than three Green Heritage
sites.
Jennifer Adams, the City of London’s Director of Open Spaces,
said: "It is wonderful that the City of London’s parks, commons and
forests have once again been recognised as some of the best run and
well loved open spaces in the country.
"It is testament to the hard work and dedication of staff and
volunteers who work throughout the year to maintain and protect our
open spaces, both now and for future generations to enjoy."
The Green Flag Award scheme recognises the value of green spaces
to communities, and recognises staff and managing organisations
that are dedicated to providing excellent green spaces for the
community.
A record 551 Green Flag Awards have been awarded to sites across
the country – a 30 per cent rise in the number of winners.
Baroness Kay Andrews, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,
said: ""I’d like to congratulate all of the Green Flag winners this
year. The huge rise in winners is yet more evidence that across the
country the standard of our parks continues to rise. Parks are an
oasis of calm and natural beauty and have a vital role to play in
our modern lives as places where people come together to relax,
exercise and play."
Ends
Notes to Editors:
The following 14 open spaces, owned and managed by the City of
London, have been awarded Green Flags for 2007:
- Queen’s Park, NW London (11th time winner)
- Hampstead Heath, NW London (10th time winner)
- West Ham Park, E London (eighth time winner)
- Highgate Wood, NW London (11th time winner)
- City of London cemetery, E London (seventh time winner)
- Epping Forest, E London and Essex (fifth time winner)
- Ashtead Common, Surrey (fifth time winner)
- Burnham Beeches, Buckinghamshire (third time winner)
- Kenley Common, S London (fifth time winner)
- Farthing Downs and New Hill, S London (fifth time winner)
- Riddlesdown, S London (fifth time winner)
- Coulsdon Common, S London (fifth time winner) - Spring Park, S
London (fourth time winner)
- West Wickham Common, S London (fourth time winner)
The City of London’s five open spaces to be awarded Green
Heritage Site status for 2007:
- Epping Forest
- Burnham Beeches
- Highgate Wood
- City of London Cemetery
- Ashtead Common
The Green Flag Award scheme, launched in 1996, is managed by the
Civic Trust on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local
Government and the Green Flag Advisory Board which comprises
founders of the scheme, sponsors, winners and judges.
For press information or images of the City’s open spaces,
please call Michelle Poole or Lesley Mair at the City of London on
020 7332 3450 or 020 7332 1754.
For further information on Green Flag Awards can be found at
www.greenflagaward.org.uk