Latest news with #idverde
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Bexley and Bromley Parks among UK's best with 2025 Green Flag Awards
Several parks across Bexley and Bromley have been officially recognised as some of the finest in the country, after winning prestigious Green Flag Awards for 2025. The annual awards, regarded as the international quality benchmark for parks and green spaces, celebrate well-managed, welcoming, and environmentally sustainable outdoor areas. Among this year's 2,250 UK winners are standout sites in both boroughs, reflecting the hard work of local authorities, volunteers, and community groups. In Bexley, Lesnes Abbey Wood, managed by Bexley Council, has been awarded the prestigious flag. Lesnes Abbey Wood (Image: Newsquest) Bromley also boasts several winners, all managed by idverde for Bromley Council. These include Biggin Hill Recreation Ground, Cator Park, Chislehurst and Walden Recreation Ground, Darrick and Newstead Wood, Hayes Common, High Elms Country Park, Kelsey Park, Keston Common, Queens Gardens, and South Hill Wood. Other sites in Bromley have received additional awards. West Wickham Common, managed by the City of London, has been given the Green Heritage Site Accreditation. This recognises sites that meet extra criteria and care for, share, and celebrate the heritage of their locations. The Green Flag Community Award, which recognises quality green spaces managed by voluntary and community groups, has been given to Hoblingwell Wood and Recreation Ground, managed by Friends of Hoblingwell, and Winsford Gardens, supervised by Penge Green Gym. In Bexley, the Sidcup Place Community Garden has also received the Green Flag Community Award. The Green Flag Award is managed by Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. This year marks the 29th anniversary of the scheme, which aims to recognise and reward the best green spaces in the country. Four parks, which received their first Green Flag Award in 1997, have managed to maintain it every year since. Keep Britain Tidy's chief executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said: "We are thrilled to see that an incredible 2,250 sites have met the standards required for a Green Flag Award, reflecting the tireless work of the people tasked with caring for and improving these crucial national assets. "Our quality parks and green spaces make the UK a healthier place in which to live and work, and a stronger place in which to invest." She added that the Green Flag Award sets the standard for caring for these sites amidst growing recognition that our green spaces can be part of the solution to climate change. The charity believes that the standards expected for the Green Flag Award should be a minimum for every park. They aim for a significant increase in the number of sites achieving Green Flag Award status by 2030, so that people, wherever they live, can access and enjoy safe, high-quality green space. Erika Diaz Petersen, Historic England's principal national landscape adviser, added: "We congratulate this year's winners for their achievements in reaching Green Flag Award standards for looking after our vital green infrastructure. "Heritage is at the heart of our green infrastructure networks, from public parks to our canal network, providing crucial benefits for people and nature, and a critical resource for climate resilience." The Green Flag Award scheme sets the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Orpington museum archive plans will 'tarnish beauty and deprive community of space'
Orpington residents opposed to plans to build a £3.9 million museum archive in public gardens have signed a petition to stop the proposal. Following its decision to relocate Bromley Central Library to the former Topshop unit in Bromley High Street earlier this year, Bromley Council announced its intention to build a new archive and museum store that would bring together the borough's entire museum and art collection under one roof. According to council documents, the new one-storey archive facility would cost around £3.9 million to construct and measure 630m². It would be located within a depot in Priory Gardens, Orpington, replacing the existing museum and art store and a building used by the council's environment department and idverde, Bromley's parks and ground maintenance contract holder. The new archive would only be publicly accessible as part of special events such as the Open House Festival and Heritage Open Days, with Bromley residents able to view its contents by request and appointment at the new Bromley Central Library. Bromley Council has stated the facility would meet 'high environmental and fire protection standards', it would be located away from public view and it would not be built on public park land as it is contained within the depot. The council also said the existing mature trees around the depot would be retained and new hedges and trees would be planted to enhance the biodiversity of the site. After the announcement of the archive plans in May, Cllr Yvonne Bear said: 'It is important that we take the necessary steps to preserve our heritage, with these plans ensuring important local relics of our past remain available to residents as needed long into the future.' Following the release of these plans, a petition was launched in opposition to them. As of July 4, it has gained over 1,800 signatures. The petition 'Say No to the £3.9 million Warehouse in Priory Gardens' calls for the money to be invested in the Priory Gardens depot 'in a way that enriches the lives of the community' and 'adds growth to local businesses and economy'. The petition reads: 'If allowed to proceed, this project will not only tarnish the beauty and serenity of this historic site but also deprive the community of a public space that could serve as a valuable social and educational resource. 'Instead of creating a closed-off archive storage facility, we could aim to establish a community garden hub, a children's crèche, an educational centre and community garden. 'Such a hub would provide a place for educational workshops, allow collaborations with local businesses, and enhance social interaction across all age groups. It has the potential to foster a collective sense of belonging, strengthen community ties, and enrich lives in Bromley Borough. 'Bromley Council must reconsider their decision and prioritise projects that align with the community's needs and wishes. According to studies, access to green spaces can improve mental health, enhance community engagement, and boost local economies. 'Priory Gardens holds the potential to be so much more than a garden—it can be a sustainable community space that benefits everyone.' The petition was started by Caroline Jeffrey, a member of the Friends of Priory Gardens, a group devoted to preserve, promote and protect the Grade II listed Arts & Crafts and Italianate style gardens. The group does not support Bromley Council's archive proposal, saying it would 'degrade' the gardens with a 'monolithic warehouse' and it has promoted the petition objecting to it.
