City's green spaces pick up record honours

Sheffield now has 12 Green Flag and six Green Pennant awards – more than any other authority in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The Keep Britain Tidy group, which organises the awards, requires winning parks to be welcoming and well maintained.

Sheffield Council's Cabinet member for communities, Shaffaq Mohammed, said: "We are very proud of our green spaces in Sheffield and it is great news that we have so many top quality sites in the city.

"A tremendous amount of hard work by Friends groups, members of local communities and council staff has gone into providing safe, welcoming and attractive green spaces right across the city and their dedication has now been rewarded."

The sites achieving Green Flag status this year are the Cholera Monument Grounds and Clay Wood, Ecclesall Woods, Firth Heritage Park, Norfolk Heritage Park, the Peace Gardens, the Botanical Gardens, Weston Park, the Winter Garden, Devonshire Green, Tinsley Green, Wheata Woods and – for the first time this year – Meersbrook Park.

The six Green Pennant winners were Heeley City Farm, Kettlebridge Doorstep Green, Meersbrook Park Walled Garden, Devon Gardens, Fretson Green and Grenoside Green.

Sheffield's director of parks and countryside, Mary Bagley, said: "Working with the Friends groups, our staff have gone the extra mile to transform our service and improve standards for local people.

"We are all working to achieve our vision where every area of the city has green and open spaces of exceptional quality for current and future generations.

"In the present economic climate we will be looking for ideas on how we can continue to improve great outdoors.

"If you have any ideas to help us, would like to join a local Friends group or set up a new one, contact me on 0114 203 7755."