Severn Valley Country Park and The Mere in Ellesmere awarded the coveted Green Flag Award

Today Shropshire Council is celebrating after receiving a Green Flag Award for both Severn Valley Country Park near Alveley, and The Mere at Ellesmere – two of 2,208 UK winners.

A community Green Flag has also been awarded to the Friends of Stanmore Country Park.

The awards are the international quality mark for parks and green spaces, and today’s announcement sees Severn Valley Country Park maintain a 19-year run of success and The Mere its ninth successive Green Flag Award.

Severn Valley Country Park has been awarded the Green Flag for the 19th consecutive year

After two years that have seen our parks and green spaces play a vital role for people through Lockdowns as a place to relax, exercise and meet friends and family safely, the news that all three sites have achieved the Green Flag Award is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team that make the green space a great space that everyone can enjoy.

The Mere awarded a Green Flag Award for ninth year running.

Cecilia Motley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for communities, culture, leisure and tourism, and transport, welcomed the announcement:-

“In Shropshire we know that our parks and open spaces are first class places for people to live, work and explore.

“These Green Flag Awards put our county on the map and are well deserved, in recognition of all the hard work our teams and volunteers put into making these places attractive and accessible to everyone. We congratulate them all.”

Paul Todd, Keep Britain Tidy’s accreditation manager, said:-

“I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making Severn Valley Country Park, The Mere and Stanmore Country Park worthy of Green Flag Awards.

“They offer vital green space for the community in Shropshire. This award is testament to all the hard work of staff and volunteers, who do so much to ensure that it maintains the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the UK and around the world.

A full list of Green Flag Award-winning parks and green spaces is available here.