Ards and North Down Gains Five Green Flag Awards.
Five locations in Ards and North Down have achieved a Green Flag Award, an internationally recognised certification for environmental quality management for parks and open spaces.
Holywood’s Ballymenoch Park, Newtownards’ Kiltonga Nature Reserve and Londonderry Park, as well as Bangor’s Castle Park and Linear Park, have each received the prestigious award.
The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Alderman Bill Keery, said: “I’m delighted that five locations in Ards and North Down have achieved Green Flag status. This is a fantastic achievement and is a credit to the Council staff who work so hard in maintaining the high standards of our parks and open spaces throughout the borough.
“Our Green Flag parks and open spaces are complemented by miles of stunning coastline and beautiful coastal paths, ensuring that Ards and North Down is a great location for our residents to live as well as an attractive destination for visitors.”
Parks and open spaces wishing to achieve Green Flag status must have a site management plan in place and be able to demonstrate that they comply with a range of strict criteria including horticultural standards, cleanliness, environmental management, biodiversity, community involvement and safety standards.
The awards are judged annually by a panel of experts, who volunteer their time to assess the management plans and the applicant sites through a rigorous judging process.
Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, the environmental charity that runs the scheme in Northern Ireland, revealed that a record 76 Green Flag awards were presented this year, highlighting that Northern Ireland now has more high quality outdoor places than ever for the public to enjoy.E
