Two South Staffordshire beauty spots have once again scooped Green Flag Awards – with 2023 marking the 25th year Baggeridge Country Park has held the prestigious title.
Wom Brook Walk in Wombourne has also been granted Green Flag status again – for the 14th year in a row.
The awards, granted by Keep Britain Tidy, are the international quality mark for parks and green spaces and a testament to the hard work and dedication of officers at South Staffordshire Council and local volunteers that care for the green spaces so that everyone can enjoy them.
South Staffordshire Council cabinet member for community services, Councillor Kath Perry MBE, said: “I am delighted our wonderful Baggeridge Country Park and Wom Brook Walk have once again been granted Green Flag Awards.
“These picturesque green spaces are vital for South Staffordshire – not only for the extensive benefits they offer our community, but also to the wealth of wildlife which reside there.
“These awards are testament to the staff and volunteers who care for the sites and they should be very proud of this achievement.”
Baggeridge Country Park is a 152-acre wildlife haven and park with something to offer for everyone – from a children’s play area to a miniature railway, walking trails, a tearoom and more. Find out more about Baggeridge Country Park here: Visit Baggeridge Country Park | South Staffordshire District Council (sstaffs.gov.uk)
Wom Brook Walk, meanwhile, is made up of four areas, each having a different landscape character. Declared a Local Nature Reserve in 2008, the site is home to water voles – which are in serious decline nationwide – plus a diversity of aquatic margin species as well as woodland species.
Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award scheme manager, Paul Todd MBE, said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved at Baggeridge Country Park and Wom Brook Walk in achieving the Green Flag Awards.
“The two South Staffordshire sites are vital green spaces for the community, bringing people together and providing opportunities to lead healthy lifestyles.
“The staff and volunteers do so much to ensure that it maintains the high standards of the Green Flag Award and everyone involved should feel extremely proud of their achievement.”
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 United Kingdom and around the world.