UK’s Top Ten favourite parks revealed
22 September 2011
The nation’s favourite parks and green spaces were revealed at a prestigious awards ceremony on Wednesday 21 September – with results proving that our most cherished green spots are as diverse as the communities they serve.
Traditional parks and country parks featured alongside university campuses and a graveyard in this year’s People’s Choice Award Top Ten, voted for by the public.
All Green Flag Award-winning parks and green spaces are entered into the annual poll, which saw thousands of people voting for their favourite green space. The People’s Choice Award winner for 2011 was The Old Station, Tintern in Monmouthshire, with more than 2,000 votes. Representatives from the park received their award from Baroness Hanham, Minister for Department for Communities and Local Government, at the awards ceremony at City Hall, London.
Commenting on the awards Baroness Hanham said: "Well done to all of this year’s London Green Flag Award winners. With 300 days to go until the world’s eyes will be focused on the London Olympics, it is right that London has some of the country’s best parks and green spaces, many of which are managed by communities themselves in the heart of the city. Not only can London look up at its wonderful buildings it can also look down at ground level at its beautiful parks and gardens.
"My congratulations to all this year’s Green Flag Award winners and to those schemes that have won People's Choice and Special Innovation Awards. They are all a real credit to their communities. As we continue to push power into the hands of local communities more and more people should be encouraged to get involved in shaping the future of treasured green spaces."
Paul Todd, Green Flag Award Scheme manager, said: “Congratulations to The Old Station for winning the People’s Choice Award 2011, and all the other sites which received votes from the public. It’s great to see such a diverse range of sites in the top ten, a sign of the importance of green spaces to the public, no matter where they are.”
For the first time this year, three university campuses feature in the Top Ten – the University of Reading’s Whiteknights Campus in fourth place, and both the Harcourt Hill Campus (6th) and Headington Campus (9th) at Oxford Brookes University. All three sites are first-time winners of the Green Flag Award this year, and are among a growing number of university campuses that are committed to providing a ‘green lung’ not only for their students, but the whole community.
More than 13,000 votes were received this year, proof of how important quality parks and green spaces are to us all. With almost 2,500 of the votes going to the winning site, The Old Station was the undisputed winner. As one voter put it: “Tintern Old Station really is a fantastic little park. Wonderful tea room, great picnic sites and the mini railway is always fun to toot around on!”
The People’s Choice Award Top Ten are:
Rank Name of site
1. The Old Station, Tintern, Monmouthshire
2. Warley Woods, Sandwell, West Midlands
3. Cassiobury Park, Watford
4. Whiteknights, University of Reading
5. Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Waterlooville, Hampshire
6. Harcourt Hill Campus, Oxford Brookes University
7. Apex Leisure & Wildlife Park, Burnham on Sea, Somerset
8. Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets, East London
9. Oxford Brookes University Headington Campus
10. Tipton Cemetery, Sandwell, West Midlands