Northumberland parks among UK's best once again

Receiving this prestigious benchmark of quality means that a park or green space is among the very best in the country.

Northumberland’s winning green spaces are (in alphabetical order) Alexandra Park, Cramlington; Astley Park, Seaton Delaval; Bolam Lake Country Park; Carlisle Park, Morpeth; Castle Vale Park and Coronation Park, Berwick; Doctor Pit Park, Bedlington; Eastwoods Park, Prudhoe; Hexham Parks; Hirst Park, Ashington; Plessey Woods Country Park and Ridley Park, Blyth.

Coun John Riddle, Northumberland County Council’s cabinet member for local services, said: “Our local parks and green spaces are at the heart of our communities and are very much valued by all who visit them.

“We invest in and work very hard to continually improve our parks, and we are delighted to have retained the Green Flag status in 11 parks.

“Each Green Flag Award is a testament to the dedication and hard work that has been put in by our residents and local volunteers, and our own staff, towards maintaining the parks to very high standards.”

The accolade is a sign to the public that the space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities.

Keep Britain Tidy’s accreditation manager, Paul Todd, said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making 11 Northumberland parks worthy of Green Flag Awards.

“They are vital green spaces for the community in Northumberland.

“This is testament to all the hard work of staff and volunteers, who do so much to ensure that they maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”