International quality mark awarded to five Newark and Sherwood parks and green spaces

Newark Castle Gardens, Sconce and Devon Park, Vicar Water Country Park and Sherwood Heath Cockglode and Rotary Woods and the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Garden have all been recognised by the Green Flag Award once again.

The Green Flag Award, a mark of excellence recognised nationally and internationally, highlights the outstanding management and community involvement of parks and green spaces and is a sign to the public that the site holds the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities. It also recognises the hard work of staff and volunteers in maintaining spaces to meet the needs of the local community.

Councillor Emma Oldham, Portfolio Holder for Biodiversity and Environmental Services at Newark and Sherwood District Council said: “Receiving this award for yet another year is a testament to the work we continue to do to protect and improve our green spaces and parks. Residents consistently tell us how much they value these spaces in our district, and it is a wonderful to see the efforts of all those involved in maintaining them being recognised.

“From our Park Rangers and Street Scene team to the incredible groups of Friends and volunteers, we would not have this award if it were not for their dedication to making the parks and green spaces of our district wonderful places to be.”

The District Council is committed creating a greener district, not only to support the local environment but also to benefit the health and wellbeing of its residents. The Street Scene team, park rangers and volunteers work tirelessly to keep the parks in great condition and their efforts to enhance the sites includes fantastic projects such as creating new pathways to improve accessibility around parks, establishing a community orchard at Sconce and Devon, and the creation of a native wildflower walk that includes willow tunnels, bee posts and planters at Vicar Water Country Park. The Council also works with local partners on projects such as the Three Rivers Project, a Severn Trent funded scheme that the Council partnered with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust on to improve the health and flow of the water through the river at the park.

Work to enhance parks and green spaces has also included significant investment into the district’s play parks, through which £350,000 was committed to refurbish existing play equipment and replace aging pieces with brand new equipment at ten play parks across Newark and Sherwood. Most recently, work began to redevelop Sherwood Avenue Play Park, with the District Council working in partnership with Newark Town Council to create an improved community space using ideas gathered during public consultations.

Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, Paul Todd MBE, said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved at Newark and Sherwood on achieving a Green Flag Award.

“All five sites are vital green spaces for communities in Newark and Sherwood 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.

Find out more about the district’s parks and green spaces: https://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/parksandgardens/