Telford Town Park scoops People’s Choice Award

The park has been named as one of 10 parks across the UK to win a coveted 2021 Green Flag People’s Choice Award.

The award, based on a public vote, was open to all of the UK’s ‘Green Flag’ parks.

Telford and Wrekin was awarded three Green Flags in October – for Telford Town Park, Hartshill District Park and Dawley Park – by the award scheme which recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

Telford Town Park, which includes a long established local nature reserve and was designated a country park last year, has achieved Green Flag status for the past seven years in a row and has won a People’s Choice Award three times since 2018.

Councillor Carolyn Healy, cabinet member for climate change, green spaces, natural and historic environment, said: “This is amazing news although not surprising at all as Telford Town Park is simply the best park! Huge congratulations go to the park team and the Friends of the Park who deserve to be very proud.

“Over the past ten years, the council has made positive decisions to invest into Telford Town Park, to improve facilities for residents and visitors alike, it has proved to be money well spent.

“Our town park is such a wonderful space in the heart of our borough. Over the challenging past 18 months it has really come to the fore, offering something for everyone.

“With the fantastic play areas for young families, brilliant attractions and activities for everybody, and the extensive beautiful space that makes up the local nature reserve, it really is a special place.

“Add in the incredible and popular events that the park plays host to, like the annual balloon fiesta and music concerts, and it becomes unbeatable. We can all be so proud to have this brilliant, nationally recognised asset in our borough."

Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council and ward member for Malinslee & Dawley Bank, Councillor Shaun Davies added: “Telford and Wrekin absolutely deserves to be on the map for its parks, so I’m delighted with this result.

“The fact that this award came from a public vote shows how much Telford Town Park means to our residents.

“To maintain this status and bring even more of our parks up to the highest standards, we have recently committed to investing £1 million into the borough’s parks and a further £2 million into other green spaces as part of the council’s pledge to invest in what matters to local people.”

Chris Pettman, chair of Friends of Telford Town Park also added: “I’m enormously proud of the hard work that our volunteers put into Telford Town Park. It’s wonderful to know that local people value what we and the council are doing to protect and care for this space.

“I welcome the council’s latest investment announcement and look forward to seeing how we can work together to maintain and further improve this brilliant asset for the borough.”