North Norfolk District Council celebrates as parks and green spaces win Green Flag Awards

Date published: 14th October 2020

Today, parks and green spaces across the country will be raising their Green Flag Award with pride in a year when millions of people have seen the value of having great quality green spaces on their doorstep.

Among them will be Holt Country Park, which is raising a Green Flag Award for the 16^th year running. The park was the first in Norfolk to be awarded the prestigious countryside award.

Holt Country Park, Sadler’s Wood and Pretty Corner Woods are among over 2,000 sites across the country to collect the award for 2020.

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for their management across the United Kingdom and around the world.

Eligibility for the Green Flag Award is defined by a set of requirements that parks and green spaces have to meet and improve upon each year. Primary criteria include appropriate, exceptional management of the parks and providing an accessible, easily navigable (with the inclusion of directional signage and information boards) and clean space for all of the community. As part of the Green Flag Awards criteria, the Council’s green spaces regularly hold community engagement events, where visitors can engage in activities such as treasure hunts or photography competitions.

Holt Country Park currently has a photography competition encouraging visitors to submit their photos of various things around the park. Each month has a theme and visitors are asked to conjure up the most creative photos they can.

Volunteers, schools and community groups regularly visit green spaces such as Holt Country Park, Sadler's Wood and Pretty Corner Woods for educational or environmental activities, where they are taught about the woodlands or help us to look after them. As part of NNDC’s tree planting scheme – to plant 110,000 trees in 4 years – community groups have helped the Park Rangers to plant thousands of saplings in our parks.

Culture and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder Cllr. Virginia Gay said: “Having well-managed green spaces is paramount for wellbeing. The benefits of beautiful woodland parks are countless and we’re so fortunate in North Norfolk to have so many award winning green spaces to visit. It’s an honour to be awarded the Green Flag Awards again, and we are delighted that our woodlands have such a positive impact on our residents and visitors.” Cllr. Nigel Lloyd, Portfolio Holder for the Environment said:

“It’s so important that everyone has access to green areas, like our country parks and woodlands and it’s even more important that we have the opportunity to give back.

To improve our parks and be able to teach others about the environment and ecology in the process is truly wonderful.

We are proud of our beautiful parks and delighted to receive this quality award”

Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said:

“This year, more than ever, our parks and green spaces have been a lifeline and we know that millions of people have used them to relax, meet friends, exercise or simply escape for a short time.

“It is testament to the incredible dedication and hard work of parks staff and volunteers that, despite the challenges that went along with record numbers of visitors, North Norfolk District Council has achieved the highest international standards Holt Country Park, Sadlers Wood and Pretty Corner Woods demanded by the Green Flag Award.”

You can view all of our woodland parks on our website.

Pretty Corner Woods remains closed following damage from the strong weather in September. It will reopen once the Rangers have finished repairs and clearing debris on site.