East Cambridgeshire District Council is celebrating a double award win for its parks and open spaces after scooping two green flags courtesy of the Keep Britain Tidy Green Flag Awards Scheme.

Ely Country Park and Jubilee Gardens are among thousands of parks and open spaces that have received the coveted green flag which signifies to the public that the area boasts the highest standards possible and is immaculately maintained.

The same two parks were also awarded Green Flag Awards in July 2016 and have continued to keep to the lofty expectations this has set. This is the 13^th year that Jubilee Gardens have been awarded a Green Flag and the 4^th year of recognition for Ely Country Park.

Recently appointed Chair of the Community Services Committee, Councillor David Ambrose-Smith said: “This is such great news for us and it particularly reflects the hard work done by the parks maintenance team who have gone above and beyond to ensure the high standards we hold for our parks and open spaces”.

The announcement of this year’s award winners comes in the same week that thousands of people up and down the country are marking Love Parks Week (14^th to 23^rd of July), an annual celebration of our country’s fantastic green spaces and the community groups that bring them to life.

Paul Todd, International Green Flag Award scheme manager, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award scheme. 
 

“Each flag is a celebration of the thousands of staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award. The success of the scheme, especially in these challenging times, demonstrates just how much parks matter to people.”

Ely Country Park is an open space which has a number of features including play areas, sculptured walking routes and spectacular views of Ely Cathedral. There are also wildflower areas, woodland, riverside meadows and old gravel working pits.

Established in 2009, Ely Country Park is a fantastic place for families, residents and visitors to enjoy and explore the fenland landscape and great outdoors.

The impressive Jubilee Gardens with beautiful riverside setting and magnificent Cathedral backdrop incorporates trees, flowers, sculptures and a bandstand, provides a community facility for a wide variety of outdoor events such as fetes, fairs and open-air concerts. The friends of Jubilee Gardens work tirelessly to ensure the gardens are maintained to the highest standards, raising money and awareness for the park through their monthly working parties.

To celebrate Love Parks Week, East Cambridgeshire District Council have created two walks to allow people to explore the city. These circular walks which are 1.1 and 1.6 miles long, encompass Jubilee Gardens, Ely Country Park and Ely Park. Information on the walks will be available online, within leaflet holders at Ely Country Park, and at the Tourist Information Centre.