Seven of Guildford’s parks and green spaces have been recognised as being among the best in the UK.
Guildford Borough Council reports that Green Flags were again awarded to Allen House Grounds, the Castle Grounds, Riverside Nature Reserve, Stoke Park, Sutherland Memorial Park, Guildford Crematorium and Stoke Cemetery.
Cllr Richard Billington, lead councillor for rural economy, countryside, parks and leisure, said: “We are delighted to receive these awards again this year, which reflect the hard work of our parks team. They do a fantastic job all year round to keep our parks and green spaces looking great for everyone to enjoy.
“A Green Flag Award provides national recognition for all the parks’ managers, staff and volunteers who, through their dedication and hard work, have helped to create these fantastic places for everyone to enjoy. It’s also a sign to the public that the space meets the highest possible standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent facilities. I’m proud that the spaces in Guildford borough have once again won these awards. ”
The Green Flag award is a national scheme run by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy. It recognises and rewards the very best green spaces, which are assessed according to eight strict criteria. These include sustainability, community involvement, horticultural standards, and cleanliness – setting a benchmark of excellence in recreational green areas.
Successful parks that meet the Green Flag criteria are nationally recognised for being safe and welcoming, providing good facilities and for being maintained to a high standard. Locations across the country are judged by more than 700 green space experts, who volunteer their time to assess which parks are worthy of the Green Flag.
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Contact: Martin Giles mgilesdragon@gmail.com
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John Lomas
July 27, 2016 at 10:58 am
I remember Allen House Grounds from the early ’60s when I used to take my lunch there on fine days.
At that time, there was a putting green where the ornamental garden is now, a bowling green below the clubhouse range and the tennis hardcourts at the lowest level.
The groundsman at that time, who’s name was Allan, introduced me to the Guildford Outlaws Cricket Club and I played for them for a couple of years; home games were played at Stoke Park and we travelled to various local villages generally playing against their 2nd teams.
It is nice to see that the Stoke Park boating pond and also paddling pool are still there. Stoke Park was also the venue for the Surrey County Show, while I was a child, bringing the country into town for a few days.
Dave Middleton
July 27, 2016 at 1:32 pm
Well done to the men and women of the parks department.
Brian Holt
July 27, 2016 at 9:28 pm
Every park gets improvements made and looks nice with new playground equipment except Stoughton Rec. Nothing has been done to the play equipment for smaller children for years. It needs a ggod clean and a coat of paint.
It covers a very large area, and is used by many children. Back in 2001 £96,000 was allocated to be spent on updating this rec and changing the name to “Stoughton Park”.
A few small items was replaced then all the money suddenly disappeared, we were told the money had all gone but where to?
Stoughton only has football, for those children who like it, but there is nothing else for other children.
Will the Parks Department please look at this playground, and see that an update is long overdue? We always seem to get forgotten when any improvements are made.
Les Knight
July 29, 2016 at 10:55 pm
Which side of Stoke Cemetery did they check?
Going down Stoughton Road the left-hand side not bad, but the right-hand side you would not find the Green flag due to the number of weeds.
And if our parks are among the best in the UK, I hate to think what the others are like.