More park pride for magnificent 7

TEAM effort . . . Councillor Mark Alcock (left) with staff and the Friends of Coalshaw Green Park group with their award

Undercover judges give thumbs-up

BLOOMING lovely — seven parks and gardens across Oldham have retained the prestigious Green Flag Award.

Stoneleigh Park in Derker won Oldham’s first Green Flag gong in 2002. It was swiftly followed by Alexandra, Chadderton Hall, Foxdenton, High Crompton and Coalshaw Green parks and Brownhill Nature Garden in Uppermill.

Mystery judges visited each of the parks without any prior warning in a bid to make sure the venues are performing well all year round.

Councillor Mark Alcock is Cabinet member for citizens and neighbourhoods.

He said: “This is excellent news. I would like to congratulate everyone who is involved in maintaining our parks to such a high standard and making them such welcoming and pleasant places for citizens to use and enjoy.

“Investment in new play areas and the continued growth of park friends’ groups has made a real difference to how people see their local park and how they can make a difference to how it is run and managed.

“This year saw the judging being carried out by a ‘mystery shopper’ where previously there had been formal inspections.

“I believe that judging this way is far harder as there is no knowledge of when and where the inspection will take place which means that standards have to be consistently high every day. Parks are there to be used and I would urge people to take this opportunity to go and visit their local park this summer, I am sure they will be pleasantly surprised.”

For more information on parks and open spaces in the borough, visit the council’s website at www.oldham.gov.uk/community.