Fantastic nine-flag success for Bridgend County Borough

Bridgend County Borough has put itself on the map as one of the country’s most beautiful areas after scooping nine Green Flag awards.

Maesteg Welfare Park, Wilderness Lake in Porthcawl, Parc Slip Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve, Bryngarw Country Park, Coychurch Crematorium and Glanrhyd Hospital have all earned full Green Flag status, while Caerau Market Garden, the Spirit of Llynfi Woodlands and Tremains Wood have all received Community Awards.

Delivered by environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy with support from Welsh Government, the Green Flag awards recognise parks and open spaces which offer high environmental standards and excellent visitor facilities, and which demonstrate a commitment towards providing excellent green public space.

This year, more than 240 parks and green spaces across Wales have received the prestigious award ranging from country parks and formal gardens to allotments, woodlands and churchyards.

Each area was assessed by independent green space experts and judged against strict criteria which included biodiversity, cleanliness, environmental management, and community involvement.

Cllr Stuart Baldwin, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “I’d like to thank all the members of staff and volunteers whose efforts have contributed towards helping each of these locations to achieve their Green Flag awards.

“This marks the first time that Tremains Wood and Parc Slip have been recognised, so well done to everyone who has made this year such a success.

“We recognise that these are important and special places to residents of Bridgend County Borough, and we will continue to work alongside our partners to strive to gain further flags for our other green spaces.”

Julie James, Welsh Government Minister for Climate Change, said: “Green spaces are vital for mental and physical well-being and throughout the pandemic we have seen how important these spaces have been for local communities.

“Wales still holds more than a third of the UK’s Green Flag community sites and it is fantastic to see more places in Wales receiving Green Flag Awards and Green Flag Community Awards.

“These landscapes play a vital role in delivering rich ecosystems and vibrant and resilient communities, and I congratulate all of the sites for providing excellent, year-round facilities and events for people in Wales.”

A full list of award winner can be found at the Keep Wales Tidy website