North-east of England receives fewest Green Flag awards

The north-east of England received the fewest Green Flag Awards this year for its parks and green spaces.

The scheme looks to reward the best parks in the country - the first Green Flags were awarded in 1997 after many historic city centre parks were left neglected and derelict for decades.

The North East received just 57 awards while Yorkshire - which received the second fewest - received 90, but most regions achieved over 120.

A spokesperson for Keep Tidy Britain, which manages the scheme, said it was "up to individual local authorities and other land managers whether they apply for a Green Flag award".

They said: "This year the Green Flag Award has celebrated its 30th anniversary by handing out a record-breaking number of awards."

The North West of England received the highest number of awards with 217, two more than Greater London.

But what do local councils say about the North East receiving the lowest number of green flags.

Durham County Council had two green flag awards for Durham crematorium and cemetery as well as Mountsett crematorium.

The council's head of environment James Gilchrist said he was pleased both parks had retained their Green Flag status.

He said: "We have not put the council's parks forward for Green Flags in recent times as we have chosen to prioritise putting our resources towards the upkeep of the sites, so they can continue to be enjoyed by the public.

"People can rest assured that Riverside, Hardwick, Wharton and all our other fantastic sites remain great places to visit all year round."

Gateshead Council had four green flags for Chase Park, Derwent Walk Country Park, Felling Park and Saltwell Park.

A spokesperson said it was "proud" of the awards and the achievement for such a small borough.

The spokesperson said: "The awards reflect the ongoing hard work from our environment teams and amazing volunteers.

"We will continue working to maintain these awards, whilst making sure all parks across the borough are well looked after."

Newcastle City Council had four green flags for Exhibition Park, Jesmond Dene, Leazes Park and Walker Park.

A spokesperson said there was a cost associated with award applications and its focus was on "directing as much funding as possible into enhancing and maintaining our parks".

The spokesperson added: "We therefore select a number of sites to enter each year and were delighted that all of those submitted were awarded Green Flag status this year.

"Alongside this recognition, we will be investing £1.4 million in improvements to parks and green spaces across the city, helping ensure they remain welcoming, attractive and accessible places for everyone to enjoy."

Darlington Borough Council received two green flags for West Park and South Park in the town.

A spokesperson said: "We are very proud to have two parks in Darlington with Green Flag status, especially when taking into account the size of the borough."

South Park has held Green Flag status since 2006 and West Park since 2015.

Northumberland County Council received the most Green Flags in the region with 14.

The parks and spaces which received the awards included: Alexandra Park (Cramlington), Astley Park, Bolam Lake Country Park, Carlisle Park, Castle Vale Park and Coronation Park, Doctor Pit Park, Druridge Bay Country Park, Eastwoods Park, Flagstaff Park, Hexham Parks, Hirst Park, Plessey Woods Country Park, Ridley Park, Tyne Riverside Country Park.

The council's member for environment John Riddle said he knows how much "local residents appreciate having these lovely parks".

He said: "These 14 awards also reflect not only the incredible work carried out by our staff and volunteers, but also our clear commitment to improving and protecting our parks."

Here are the Green Flags received by the remaining North East councils:

• Middlesbrough - three
• South Tyneside - six
• Sunderland - five
• North Tyneside - eight
• Hartlepool - two
• Peterlee - two
• Stockton-on-Tees - two
• Hexham - one
• Newcastle University - one
• Groundwork North East - one

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