Green flags for five!

The Council is celebrating the success of three of the borough's urban parks - Clifton, Bradgate and Rawmarsh Rosehill - together with Thrybergh and Rother Valley Country Parks, which have all retained their Green Flag status.

It means that the five parks have met the standards as laid down by the scheme, which means that each  park is a welcoming place; is healthy, safe and secure; is clean and well maintained; is sustainable;
and protects its conservation and heritage.

Each park must also encourage local community involvement and be well managed.

Coun. Amy Rushforth, Cabinet Member for Culture and Tourism for Rotherham Borough Council, who will be raising the flag on Tuesday in the town's Clifton Park, described it as "brilliant news" for both the people of Rotherham and council officers.

She said: "Our green spaces staff and rangers must be congratulated because their hard work and dedication has really paid off and has resulted in Rotherham being successful in these awards once again.

It means that people across the Borough as well as further afield have free access to some really marvellous urban and country parks.

"Despite the current budget pressures on local authorities, Rotherham Borough Council will do all it can to try and maintain these high standards because our parks are very special and we know how much they are enjoyed and valued by local people."

The Green Flag Award, which was set up in 1996, is the benchmark national standard for free-to-enter parks and green spaces in the country.

The Green Flag Award Scheme is managed in the UK by a consortium, comprising Keep Britain Tidy, The Conservation Volunteers and GreenSpace. Known collectively as the Green Flag Plus Partnership, the consortium manages the scheme in England on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Parks and green spaces are judged in April and May each year and the winners are announced in July. Parks must apply each year to keep their Green Flag Award, and winning sites are eligible to fly a Green Flag in the park for a year.