The winner of the public vote of the annual Green Flag park award has been crowned twice winner with a record number of votes: Victoria Park in Tower Hamlets, London.
The Green Flag Scheme writes:
Victoria Park in Tower Hamlets, London, has beaten off stiff competition to be crowned the UK’s favourite park in this year’s prestigious People’s Choice Award, with a record breaking 32,694 votes being cast.
In second place was Mote Park, in Maidstone, Kent. Whilst in third place was Margam Park, in Neath Port Talbot, South Wales.
In the vote, organised by the Green Flag Award scheme, which presents Green Flag Award status to the best open spaces in the country, Victoria Park came out on top against a staggering 1,482 parks and green spaces in the annual poll. The park has won the Green Flag Award on four occasions.
Victoria Park, now a two time winner of the People’s Choice Award, and also runner up in 2013, is London’s oldest and most important historic parks, visited by millions of Londoners for nearly 170 years. The park is the largest in Tower Hamlets at 86.18 hectares in area and has one of the highest visitor numbers of all the London parks with around 12 million visits per year.
Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said: ‘I am delighted Victoria Park has reclaimed its title as the UK’s best loved open space. It is our flagship park and a fantastic asset which is enjoyed by thousands of visitors and residents alike.’
Councillor Shafiqul Haque, cabinet member for culture, added: ‘The council works hard to ensure all parks and open spaces are maintained to an excellent standard and the borough has six Green Flag Award winning parks to be proud of. I would like to congratulate the parks team for their dedication and commitment as our parks provide essential recreation, play and leisure facilities.’
The park draws in more than 275,000 visitors a year to enjoy festivals and events which attract international superstars and boasts of a year round community programme. Facilities at the park include children’s play areas, boat hire, both summer and winter football pitches, cricket practice nets, bowling greens and tennis courts, as well as several sports clubs.
Green Flag Award manager, Paul Todd, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see so many people voting in this year’s People’s Choice, showing their support and demonstrating how important and loved their local park or green space is. Congratulations to Victoria Park and all the staff and volunteers who work so hard in ensuring the park is not only a Green Flag Award winner but is now the UK’s favourite for 2014.’
Three and a half billion visits are made to parks every year across the UK and they are vital part of communities. The Green Flag Award is a way that the public can be assured they are visiting a clean and well managed green space.
The People’s Choice Top 10:
- Victoria Park (Tower Hamlets) London Borough of Tower Hamlets
- Mote Park (Maidstone Borough Council)
- Margam Park (Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council)
- Cassiobury Park (Watford Borough Council)
- Kings Park (Bassetlaw District Council)
- Whiteknights (University of Reading)
- Bute Park (The City of Cardiff Council)
- Clissold Park (London Borough of Hackney)
- Valentines Park (Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure Ltd
- Millennium Country Park (Marston Vale Trust)
