Local Country Parks Receive National Awards

All three council-run country sites have gained Green Flag status after inspectors carried out mystery shopper visits earlier in the summer.

Yeovil Country Park, Ham Hill Country Park and Chard Reservoir Local Nature Reserve achieved the accreditations, much to the delight of the countryside Rangers who run and maintain the parks.

It is the third year running that the district council has received flags for all three parks and the seventh consecutive year that Yeovil Country Park and Ham Hill Country Park have gained Green Flags.

The quality mark is only awarded to parks that meet high standards concerning how welcoming a park is, how healthy, safe and secure it is, its cleanliness and maintenance, sustainability, conservation and heritage, community involvement, marketing and management.

Phil Barton, Green Flag Plus Partnership chairman said: "I would like to congratulate this year's winners, who have worked hard throughout the year to keep their parks and green spaces at a high standard and ensure they are pleasant and enjoyable spaces for the whole community.

"In these challenging financial times it is heartening that the number of Green Flag Awards continue to grow. As the value of green space and the role it plays in our communities strengthens, we must ensure these high standards remain."

Responding to the awards, Katy Menday, Countryside Manager at SSDC said: "We are thrilled that all of our parks remain right up there with the most well managed, sustainable safe and enjoyable parks in the country."

Cllr Sylvia Seal, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Well Being, added "Local people are quite rightly proud of the stunning countryside in South Somerset and what we aim to do is create accessible, well-managed open spaces for everyone to enjoy.

"Conservation of the environment and wildlife is also hugely important and our rangers are out there every day improving the parks and running events that give people a chance to learn about what they do, and why.

"We want to continue opening the parks up and in turn, widening people's opportunities to enjoy the outdoors."

Regular family and nature events are held at the parks, and thousands are expected at Yeovil Country Park on Wednesday 3 August for the annual National Play Day.

Want to find out more about our local countryside? Then click here!