Studham Common receives ninth green flag award

The text below is a press release issued by Central Bedfordshire yesterday.

My congratulations to the indomitable Cllr Geoff Shute and his hard-working team of volunteers in Studham; more information is available via their website.

Central Bedfordshire continues to fly the green flag

 

Nine open spaces in Central Bedfordshire have been recognised as some of the best community-run green spaces in the country in the National Green Flag Awards 2016.

Flitton Moor; Grove House Gardens; Linslade Woods; Millennium Country Park; Parson’s Close Rec; Priory Gardens; Stotfold Water Mill Local Nature Reserve; Studham Common and Tiddenfoot Water Park have all been awarded with the Community Award which acknowledges that the sites are well-managed and welcoming places, central to the local community and high-quality green spaces.

Meanwhile, the Forest of Marston Vale’s Millennium Country Park, in Marston Moretaine, is celebrating its tenth Green Flag award and Studham Common will receive its ninth award this year.

All nine areas are part of a record-breaking 1,686 parks and green spaces receiving the Green Flag Award this year, ensuring that even more residents now have access to well-managed, high-quality parks and green spaces.

The award, now celebrating its 20th year, recognises and rewards the best parks and green spaces across the country. A Green Flag flying overhead is a sign to the public that the space boasts the highest possible standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent facilities.

Cllr Brian Spurr, Executive Member for Community Services for Central Bedfordshire Council, said: "It is tremendous news that nine public spaces in Central Bedfordshire have been nationally recognised in the Green Flags Award scheme. As a council, we aim to provide high quality green spaces for all residents and visitors to enjoy and it is great to see these awards acknowledge our welcoming and well-managed open spaces. I would encourage people to visit these wonderful areas over the summer.”

Central Bedfordshire Council works with Friends of Linslade Wood, Friends of Studham Common, Friends of Tiddenfoot Waterside Park, Friends of Flitton Moor and The Astwick and Stotfold Environmental Link (TEASEL) to ensure the green spaces are kept in fantastic condition.

Geoff Shute, chairman for Friends of Studham Common said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive a Green Flag Award for the ninth year from Keep Britain Tidy.

“This award recognises and highlights that people in Studham and the surrounding villages are benefiting from a green space of the very highest quality.”

International Green Flag Award scheme manager, Paul Todd, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award scheme, especially as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the awards.

“All the flags flying this year are a testament to the efforts of the thousands of men and women, both staff and volunteers, who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”

Central Bedfordshire flying the flag for green spaces

Three open spaces in Central Bedfordshire have been recognised as some of the best community-run green spaces in the country in the National Green Flag Awards 2014/15.

The announcement of this year’s Award-winners came in the same week that thousands of people up and down the country celebrated our country’s fantastic parks and green spaces with Love Parks Week.

Linslade Wood, Studham Common and Flitton Moor have all been awarded with the Community Award for managing and improving the sites for everyone to enjoy, visit, appreciate and use as green spaces for healthy activities and quiet enjoyment. The sites are also carefully managed to help improve them for wildlife and biodiversity.

All three sites are managed by the council, with invaluable help from ‘Friends of’ groups who run work parties, fund raising activities, educational and guided walks and other events.

Cllr Brian Spurr, Executive Member for Sustainable Communities, Services, said: “This is really fantastic news and our thanks go to the ‘Friends of’ groups who have put in so much work to achieve this accolade. Our own Countryside Access team oversee the parks and offer advice, tools, training and support through management plans and so on but we can’t accept these awards without acknowledging the hard graft that many local people put in too."

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Studham Common, a County Wildlife site in south Bedfordshire, has been awarded a Green Flag for the seventh year in a row.  Geoff Shute, Chairman of the Friends group there, said: “We are absolutely delighted that our Common has once again received the recognition it deserves. It is a very precious resource, for people and for wildlife, and we are honoured to play our part in looking after it. The award is a tremendous boost to our morale and will show visitors that the care of this beautiful green space is in good hands.”

Cllr Spurr added: “As a council, we aim to provide high quality green spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy across the whole of Central Bedfordshire. These awards are fantastic recognition of the great spaces we have. We hope that people will visit them or a site local to them over the summer and see for themselves.”

The Green Flag Awards are judged by an army of more than 700 volunteer experts who visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, including biodiversity, access, cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement.

This article is an edited version of an update bulletin from Central Bedfordshire Council.