The Walthamstow Marshes and WaterWorks Centre Nature Reserve in Leyton are among nine parts of the Lee Valley Regional Park to receive the flags, reports Rana Rastegari
The Lee Valley Regional Park has been awarded nine Green Flag awards for being among the best green spaces in the country for the 16th year in a row, including the Walthamstow Marshes and WaterWorks Centre Nature Reserve in Leyton.
The Green flag Award is an international quality mark for parks and green spaces.
A tenth Green Flag will be at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park which is managed by both the London Legacy Development Corporation and Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. This honour is now in its 11th year.
With an immense number of visitors, reaching 6.45 million last year alone, Lee Valley Regional Park’s open spaces and gardens remain a crucial space for residents to lead healthy lifestyles by using the spaces to walk, exercise or socialise.
Beryl Foster, deputy chief executive at Lee Valley Regional Park Authority stated: “Our open spaces have never been more important for the diverse communities that visit us and the award of a Green Flag is testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff and volunteers who ensure we maintain the highest of standards for visitors, while at the same time conserving and enhancing the biodiversity of the park. To receive one is a great achievement for any park but to be awarded nine – year after year – is really special.”
Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag award scheme manager, Paul Todd MBE, said: “It is important that our free to use spaces are maintained to the Green Flag Award standard, making them accessible for all members of the community while ensuring the environment is protected. We know that staff and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that it maintains the high standards of the Green Flag Award, everyone involved should feel extremely proud of their achievement.”
Lee Valley Regional Park’s green spaces are free to visit throughout the year and were created by an Act of Parliament as a “green lung” for London, Essex and Hertfordshire. They feature 10,000 acres of land including heritage sites, nature reserves and parks. Lee Valley Regional Park Authority also owns three of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
Games venues including the Lee Valley White Water Centre in Waltham Cross. Waltham Abbey Gardens is also a historical site open to visitors.
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