A TOTAL of 11 parks and green spaces in the county have been awarded green flag status.

Oxford Brookes University’s Harcourt Hill Campus, Headington Campus and Wheatley Campus have all achieved the honour.

Across the city, Blackbird Leys Park, Bury Knowle Park, Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park, Florence Park, Hinksey Park and St Sepulchre’s Cemetery were also recognised.

Oxford leisure, parks and sports leader, Councillor Mike Rowley, said: “It’s great news our parks are going from strength to strength and we are doing our very best to improve them.

“I am very pleased the parks have been awarded this recognition for quality.”

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He said that plans were already being developed to improve the parks even further, including planting areas of wildflower meadows in them.


Abbey Gardens, in Abingdon, and Wallingford’s Castle Meadows both retained the green flag status, Abbey Gardens for the seventh year in a row and Castle Meadows for the eighth successive year.


Abbey Gardens is owned and managed by Vale of White Horse District Council, while Castle Meadow is owned by South Oxfordshire District Council and managed by The Earth Trust.


Vale corporate strategy and waste leader, councillor Elaine Ware, said: “It’s a real credit to our parks and maintenance team that they keep it to such a high award standard.”


The parks were 11 of 1,582 parks, cemeteries, universities, shopping centres and community gardens across the UK to be awarded green flag status by the charity Keep Britain Tidy.