Congleton Park has won a national award, as people continue to enjoy the outdoor space in the autumn months.

The Park Road beauty spot has won a Green Flag Award for the 14th consecutive year.

Known for their events, bandstand and general natural beauty, the Congleton attraction is maintained by hard-working volunteers.

The Green Flag Award means Congleton is lucky to have one of the best-maintained public green spaces in the UK.

Glen Williams, Chairman, Friends of Congleton Park said: "Winning our 14th Green Flag is absolutely amazing and recognises the consistently high standards achieved by the Streetscape Team, Ansa and volunteers who add a lot to what Congleton Park is.

"Receiving the Heritage Green Flag again is brilliant during Congleton Park's 150th year.

"Friends of Congleton Park members have been celebrating all year with the group organising several popular band concerts during the summer, re-planting two herbaceous borders with a hot and cold theme, plus new features of a planted rowing boat and a wildflower meadow planted by 60 primary school children at the St Stephen's entrance.

"The Green Flag's recognise the special nature of Congleton Park and the high standards of environmental management, community involvement, biodiversity, landscape and heritage.

"They also demonstrate the level of use and enjoyment and how welcoming, clean, well maintained and a safe place it is.

"Congleton Park has been a valuable green space for 150 years and the last 18 months this has been needed even more than ever.

"The Friends of Congleton Park group look forward to working in partnership in the next few years to protect the existing features and adding new ones to the visitor experience."

Known for botanical beauty, free carparking and Victorian roots, the 24.7-acre site dates back to 1871.

Biddulph Grange designer James Bateman advised on the design of the beautiful garden in our town.

The designer of Congleton Park was Edward Kemp who was helped by the Congleton surveyor William Blackshaw.

Kemp would later be consulted to advise on the designs for Central Park in New York - yes that New York!

It is a record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award across the borough, as the scheme marks its Silver Jubilee, our local parks have enjoyed great success.

Aside Congleton, the Cheshire East parks celebrating the awards are: Queens Park in Crewe, Sandbach Park, Fountain Fields in Middlewich, Bollington Recreation Ground, The Moor in Knutsford, Brereton Heath Local Nature Reserve and Milton Park in Alsager.

Tegg's Nose Country Park, near Macclesfield also got an award, for which we will report on for our sister site Macclesfield Nub News.

Tatton Park near Knutsford also received the international mark of accreditation.

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for their management across the United Kingdom and around the world. It is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.

Along with Queens Park in Crewe and Congleton Park, Tatton Park also achieved the much-coveted Green Heritage Site Accreditation for management of its historic features. The accreditation is supported by Historic England.

Commenting on Cheshire East's success, Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, Paul Todd, said: "I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making their parks worthy of a Green Flag Award."

"To meet the requirements demanded by the scheme is testament to the hard work of the staff and volunteers who do so much to ensure high standards of horticulture, safety and environmental management in providing places that support people to live healthy lives."

The Congleton residents listed at the top of this article are as follows:

3 x streetscape operatives Jack Appleton, Mick Pritchard, Simon Farrall. Cllr David Brown (3rd from left holding flag). Friends of Congleton Park Chair – Glen Williams, committee members – Patti Pinto, Bob Edwards. Streetscape Development Manager – Ruth Burgess. Elaine Webster Ansa Environmental Services (far left)

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