A FLAG will flying at Kingsbridge Recreation Ground this year as the park wins the prestigious Green Flag Award.

The award recognises the best parks and green spaces in the country and Kingsbridge Recreation Ground has been awarded with the accolade for the fourth year in a row.

Mayor of Kingsbridge, Councillor Chris Povey, said: ‘The community spirit in Kingsbridge is so strong and it’s great that this has been acknowledged by the Green Flag Award. The fact that the grounds keep winning the award year-on-year just goes to show that partnership working from all involved is still going strong four years on.’

With a top range of facilities; a clean and tidy green, pond, playpark, beautiful flowered borders and delightful café. The recreation ground is the result of a successful collaboration between Kingsbridge Town Council, the Kingsbridge in Bloom team and South Hams District Council.

The award, which is run by a group of charities led by Keep Britain Tidy, provides an international benchmark for parks and green spaces and recognises the excellence in the management of our public spaces.

At the flag raising, Chairman of South Hams District Council, Cllr Peter Smerdon said: ‘Kingsbridge Recreation Ground is a fantastic achievement of partnership working in the community. The park has gone from strength-to-strength each year with the joined up working of South Hams’ ground maintenance crew and the Kingsbridge in Bloom team.

‘This has led to an outstanding park which can be used by all ages to enjoy.’

The park is an area for all in Kingsbridge, keeping in mind all age groups and all walks of life. The grounds include a younger children’s play area, a more challenging ’steep slope’ play space for teenagers, a five-a-side area for anyone who would like a kick-about, a putting green, petanque piste with bowling green, and two top quality tennis courts.

The ’Trim Trail’ also brings a range of outdoor exercise equipment to the park, adding to the variety of outdoor facilities available at the Recreation Ground.

SHDC Councillor for Kingsbridge, Keith Wingate, added: ‘I would like to thank South Hams’ maintenance crew for all of the hard work that they put into the Recreation Ground. Throughout the seasons, year-on-year, the operations team has done a great job in Kingsbridge both practically and in terms of promoting excellent community relations and I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you.

‘I am also pleased with the way South Hams Council has worked with Kingsbridge in Bloom and pay tribute to all the effort that the volunteers put into making Kingsbridge look amazing, I wish them luck in the RHS awards.’

With the South Hams team keeping up the maintenance of the grounds, the group of dedicated volunteers of Kingsbridge in Bloom build and care for the numerous floral areas in and around the town, including the Recreation Ground.

Graham Price, Chairman of Kingsbridge in Bloom said: ‘I would like to thank the commitment of the ‘In Bloom’ team for not only making the Recreation Ground what it is, but for their year round work of making Kingsbridge beautiful.

‘Let’s hope that we will be in with a chance of winning another RHS Britain on Bloom top award again this year too.’