£4m Investment In Parks Pays Off

A £4m investment in Dunville and Woodvale Parks is paying off not just for their users but also for Belfast City Council – after both won awards for excellence in the UK-wide Green Flags scheme.

The latest prestigious awards to Dunville and Woodvale, refurbished as part of the Council's £150m Investment Programme, brings the number of Belfast City Council parks to have achieved Green Flag status to 14.

The other parks which retained their status from last year are Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon; Waterworks; Belmont; Musgrave; Falls; Ormeau; Botanic Gardens; Cave Hill Country Park; Barnett Demesne; Roselawn Cemetery; Lagan Meadows and Grove Playing Fields.

The Green Flag awards scheme began in 1996. Besides management and aesthetics of parks the judges also take into consideration conservation and heritage, environmental sustainability, safety, community involvement and marketing.

Lord Mayor, Councillor Nichola Mallon, praised parks' staff and the local communities who work with them to make the awards possible. She also said the latest awards effectively demonstrate the real benefits the Investment Programme is having in communities across the city.

"Parks are first and foremost community spaces to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike and the fact that our standards have been recognised as among the best in the UK is a big boost for Belfast," said Councillor Mallon.

"It is a boost for our staff working hard every day to maintain these standards to have that work recognised. It is also a signal to local communities of just how much an asset their local park can be – it offers space for everything from exercise to fun, free family events, to learning about our environment," added the Lord Mayor.

(CD/JP)