Bridgnorth country park raises national status to be seen from miles around
A Bridgnorth country park's national status as a public beauty spot can be seen flying high from miles around thanks to a successful application to a community fund.
The Friends of Stanmore Country Park lifted its Community Green Flag into the sky after purchasing a flagpole with money from STAR Housing's community chest fund.
The group received the national award on behalf of the park in 2019 for its status as a public place of natural beauty.
Judged on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Keep Britain Tidy, the 40-hectare park was inspected against seven criteria along with another 2,023 applicants.
Andy Howard, chairman of the friends group, said: "This grant allows the location of this site to be clearly identified from the local main roads and makes visitors aware that the park is a nationally-recognised community asset that should be preserved and protected for the enjoyment of future generations."
This comes after the park, which was subject to large scale development as part of Shropshire Council's Local Plan Review, was 'saved' after developers claimed it was no longer part of their proposals.
The informal green space is located to the east of Bridgnorth and is managed by Shropshire Council in partnership with members of the volunteer group, Friends of Stanmore Country Park.
The Community Green Flag is an annual award, and while volunteer efforts are temporarily suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, the group added it is looking forward to renewing its conservation efforts as soon as possible to ensure continued success in future years.
