There's no shortage of beautiful parks and green spaces in Hertsmere - and now a number of them have been recognised with a coveted Green Flag Award.
Hertsmere Borough Council is celebrating eight Green Flag Awards, including a Green Heritage Site Accreditation and a Community Award for parks in Bushey, Borehamwood, and Potters Bar.
The news that a number of parks and open spaces in Hertsmere 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 spaces, for visitors and residents to enjoy.
Councillor Chris Myers, Portfolio Holder for Street Scene, Parks, Leisure and Culture, said: “I am very proud of our parks and open spaces that have been awarded Green Flags across Hertsmere. This is fantastic news for both residents and visitors.
“As a council, we recognise that our parks and open spaces play a vital role in the health and wellbeing of our residents. They offer somewhere to exercise, to clear the head, to breathe in fresh air, to get involved in recreational activities, to take time out or to spend time together. We are committed to ensuring these beautiful, natural assets remain safe, welcoming and accessible for everyone.
“These awards highlight the hard work and dedication of our parks team, our grounds maintenance contractor John O'Conner, our fantastic friends groups and InspireAll, which manages our parks events. Together they create well-maintained, welcoming and safe places for us all to enjoy.”
The park with the longest running award history is King George Recreation Ground in Bushey, which has held the prestigious accolade for an impressive 26 years.
Not far behind is Oakmere Park in Potters Bar which has received the annual award 22 times, Aberford Park in Borehamwood has held a Green Flag for 17 years and Parkfield in Potters Bar has been awarded it 16 times.
Bushey Rose Garden has received the award for the 14th year, Mary Forsdyke Garden and Warren Lake, located in the heart of Bushey Heath, has won the prestigious award for the seventh time and Meadow Park in Borehamwood for the second year.
Bushey Rose Garden has also again achieved the much-coveted Green Heritage Site Accreditation, supported by Historic England, for the management and promotion of its historic features.
Elsewhere in Bushey, Fishers Field Nature Reserve has received a special Green Flag Community Award for the 16th time in recognition of work carried out by local volunteers who manage the site in partnership with the council.
Cllr Myers added: “The contribution of our volunteers is particularly special and I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone involved in Friends of King George, Borehamwood Four Parks Friends Group, Friends of Bushey Rose Garden, Friends of Fishers Field, and Warren Estate Residents Association.”
Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, Paul Todd MBE, said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved on achieving a Green Flag Award. These parks are a vital green space for communities in Hertsmere to socialise, enjoy nature, for children to play safely and it provides important opportunities for park users to improve their physical and mental health.
"We know that staff and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that it maintains 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 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.
To find out more about our parks please visit our website www.hertsmere.gov.uk/parks or the ParkHerts website www.parksherts.co.uk.
You can watch our portfolio holder celebrate the Green Flag awards on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/Ws5BuQUNe5Q
Posted on Wednesday 17th July 2024