The award is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces. This is the fourth year that West Suffolk Council has celebrated all six of these parks and open spaces winning the award and the council has had at least one Green Flag every year for the last 14 years.

The six West Suffolk parks that have been awarded a Green Flag this year are:

• Abbey Gardens, Bury St Edmunds
• Aspal Close, Beck Row
• Brandon Country Park, Brandon
• East Town Park, Haverhill
• Nowton Park, Bury St Edmunds
• West Stow Country Park, West Stow

This follows the Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds being rated among the top ten free attraction visited in the country.

Parks and open spaces play a vital role in supporting the health and wellbeing of residents and visitors as well as protecting the local heritage and environment.

West Suffolk Council’s parks and open spaces join green spaces as diverse as the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, Woodhouse Park in Peterlee and Chiswick Old Cemetery in London.

Cllr Ian Shipp West Suffolk Council Cabinet member for Leisure said: “Our fantastic parks and open spaces are places for people to connect to the natural environment and these Green Flag awards show that they are being managed to the highest standard for amenity and biodiversity. Visitors will have noticed the solar panels on Nowton Park’s visitor centre, the updated mowing practices to encourage pollinators and electric equipment replacing end of life petrol items. This all helps balance the health and wellbeing we benefit from with our impact on nature. I’d like to thank the many visitors, volunteers, partners and staff  who support this work and invite everyone to come out and enjoy it.’

Commenting on the news that West Suffolk has met the Green Flag Award standard, Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager Paul Todd MBE said: “I would like to congratulate everyone in West Suffolk involved in achieving these Green Flag Awards.

They are vital green space 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.

A full list of Green Flag Award-winning parks and green spaces is available here.