One of Lichfield’s most popular attractions has been voted by visitors as one of the ten best Green Flag parks in the UK.
Beacon Park has been recognised in Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Awards People’s Choice, which asked the public to vote for their favourite park from the 2,227 which hold Green Flag accreditation.
The park’s spot in the top ten in the country comes after it was awarded the Green Flag Award in July.
Lichfield District Council’s Cabinet Member for Operational Services, Parks and Waste, Councillor Phil Whitehouse, said: “We are delighted with this news. It’s such a prestigious award and we would like to thank everyone who voted for Beacon Park. That visitors consider it to be among the top ten in the UK is simply fantastic.
“It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our parks team and groups of volunteers who go above and beyond to ensure that Beacon Park is an attractive and safe place to visit.
“The team work tirelessly on its maintenance and do a wonderful job on the flower displays which draw admiration from our residents and the thousands of visitors who come every year to enjoy this especially beautiful part of the district.”
Green Flag is an international quality mark which recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.
When making the award, Green Flag itself described Beacon Park as ‘a lush oasis spanning over 70 acres, nestled right in the heart of the city. This historic park, dating back to the late 1800s, is a perfect blend of picturesque formal gardens and expansive open spaces, making it an ideal getaway from the urban hustle’.
Green Flag Award manager Paul Todd MBE said: “Our winning sites represent some of the UK’s hardest working individuals and groups working within our highest quality parks – and this has clearly been recognised and appreciated by the public.
“We believe everyone, wherever they live, should be able to access and enjoy safe, high-quality green space, so achieving this recognition from the public is testament to the tireless work at Beacon Park.
“We want to say a huge congratulations to everyone involved.”
Attractions at the park include a boating pool, play areas, a skatepark, a golf course, foot, disc and crazy golf and statues of King Edward VII, Captain Smith and Erasmus Darwin.
- Beacon Park has just launched a solar-powered bird feeder to encourage visitors to feed ducks responsibly, and to discourage the harmful practice of feeding bread, which can cause water contamination and contribute to harmful litter from discarded plastic bags.
