Two of Swindon’s best-loved parks have again been recognised as among the country’s best green spaces with a prestigious Green flag award today (Wednesday, 28 July).

Coate Water and StantonPark have been awarded their fourth and second Green flags, respectively, after impressing the judges with their excellent use of green space, well-maintained facilities and high standard of safety and security.

Only green spaces that are open to the public and are free to enter are eligible to win a Green Flag through the scheme, which is run by environmental charities Keep Britain Tidy, BTCV and GreenSpace.

A record number of Green Flags and Green Pennants across the UK have been handed this year. Green Pennants are awarded to parks or green spaces managed by a community or voluntary group.

Cllr Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetscene who also has responsibility for the town’s parks, said: “Swindon has so many beautiful parks and it is fantastic that two of them have again been given national recognition.

“Coate Water and StantonPark are great places to visit on your own or with the whole family and I would urge anyone who hasn’t experienced them to pop along and enjoy the benefits of these public spaces.”

Paul Todd, Manager of the Green Flag Award Scheme, said: “It’s a remarkable achievement that so many parks have successfully reached Green Flag Award status this year.

“The staff running the parks work very hard throughout the year to ensure their facilities are maintained to a high standard and enjoyed by the entire community.

“As the recession bites and people look closer to home to enjoy the outdoors, the provision of high-quality, free open spaces is of particular importance.”

The awards come during GreenSpace’s ‘Love Parks’ week, which takes place between July 24 and August 1 and encourage people to enjoy the nation’s parks and green spaces.