Best in Britain as Linslade Memorial Playing Fields and Garden of Remembrance earn a fifth Green Flag Award for Leighton-Linslade Town Council

The quintet of accolades make Leighton-Linslade the outright most successful town/parish council entrant this year… with Winkfield Parish Council and Ferryhill Town Council next best with four awards each.

Parks and green spaces across the country are 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.

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.

Linslade Memorial Playing Fields and Garden of Remembrance is the fifth addition to the town council managed portfolio, joining Linslade Recreation Ground, Pages Park, Parson’s Close Recreation Ground and Vandyke Road Cemetery in being one of more than 2,000 sites across the country to collect the award for 2020.

Leighton- Linslade Town Mayor, Councillor Farzana Kharawala, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive a Green Flag Award for Linslade Memorial Playing Fields and Garden of Remembrance.

"The recent improvements to this important and adored green space have been very fitting as Linslade Memorial Playing Fields and the Garden of Remembrance is home to the Linslade War Memorial. And by way of public subscription, this much-loved park is a memorial that commemorates and honours those Linslade men and women who died in the two World Wars."

Councillor Ray Berry, chairman of the Grounds and Environmental Services Committee, added: “We know how much quality green spaces matter to residents and visitors, and these awards applauds the dedication that goes into maintaining our sites to such a high standard.”

Commenting on the town council’s success, 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, Leighton-Linslade has achieved the highest international standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”