Parks and green spaces across Wales have been awarded coveted Green Flag awards.
A total of 248 locations in Wales made the list, including country parks, formal gardens, woodlands, and community projects.
Now in its third decade, the international Green Flag Awards are a sign for visitors that a park or green space meets high environmental standards, is well maintained, and has excellent facilities.
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First-time award winners include Parc Slip in Bridgend, Bwlch Nant yr Arian which is managed by Natural Resources Wales in Aberystwyth and Gronant Sand Dunes in Denbighshire.
Sites can either be given a Full Award or Community Award, depending on whether it is maintained by a local authority or community volunteers.
Cllr Tony Thomas, Denbighshire County Council’s Lead Member for Housing and Communities, said : “The Council’s Countryside Service is delighted the Gronant Dunes Site of Special Scientific Interest has been awarded Keep Wales Tidy’s prestigious Green Flag Award.”
“This area is outstanding in terms of landscape, character and its biodiversity value and is home to the last remaining Little Tern colony in Wales.
"A lot of effort has been put into upgrading the infrastructure at the site and which allows both visitors and residents to appreciate the natural beauty whilst keeping disturbance to a minimum and I’d like to thank all the staff and volunteers who have worked so hard to make this possible."
Wales still holds more than a third of the UK’s Green Flag community sites. First-time winners of this award include Church Island on Anglesey and the Laundry room at Tredegar house, Newport.
Julie James, the Welsh Government’s 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 Award and Green Flag Community Award.
“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.”
The full list of award-winning parks can be found below.
The Green Flag Award programme is delivered in Wales by environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy, with support from Welsh Government.
Independent green space experts judge applicant sites against eight strict criteria, including biodiversity, cleanliness, environmental management and community involvement.
Lucy Prisk, Green Flag Coordinator at Keep Wales Tidy said: “The pandemic showed us just how important high-quality parks and green spaces are to our communities.
"With more visitors than ever enjoying our green spaces, I’d like to congratulate the hard work of staff and volunteers who have maintained excellent standards at these sites.”
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