Woodlands and green spaces in and around Leamington and Kenilworth recognised in prestigious awards

Left to right: Jon Holmes, green spaces development officer at WDC, Karl Curtis, director of reserves and community engagement at Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Graham Leeke, Friends of Oakley Wood, Alan Rhead, Neale Murphy, Rod Scott, Friends of Oakley Wood and Adrian Perrett, contract supervisor at idverde. Photo supplied

Woodlands and green spaces in and around Leamington and Kenilworth have been recognised in prestigious awards.

Warwick District Council, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and the Friends of Oakley Wood were celebrating the news this week that Oakley Wood has once again received a Green Flag Award, which sets the standard for the management of open spaces across the UK.

Crackley Wood in Kenilworth and Jephson Gardens and Mill Gardens were also recipients of a Green Flag.

This year marks the fifteenth consecutive year that Jephson Gardens and Mill Gardens have received a Green Flag, in addition to Jephson Gardens receiving the Green Heritage Site Accreditation for good conservation standards and the prominence of historic features.

Cllr Alan Rhead, cabinet member for Climate Change, said: “The past 18 months or so has demonstrated how much we value our parks and open spaces.

"To receive these Green Flag Awards from Keep Britain Tidy once again is a truly outstanding achievement and clearly demonstrates that local people and visitors to Warwick District are benefitting from green spaces of the very highest quality.

“I would like to pay tribute to the Council’s Green Spaces Team, contractors idVerde, the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and the many Friends and volunteers who come out in all weathers to assist us in maintaining and improving these wonderful places.”

Karl Curtis, director of reserves and community engagement at Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, added: “To receive the Green Flag award for Oakley Wood again demonstrates the strength of the partnership Warwickshire Wildlife Trust has with the many partners who all play their role in ensuring the wood is a rich and vibrant place for people and wildlife.

"After some significant management that will benefit the wood, it’s wildlife and many visitors well into the future, the Green Flag award demonstrates all that collective effort is going in the right direction as well as locally helping tackle the ecological and climate crisis we face.”

Liz Sheehan, chair of Friends of Oakley Wood, said: "We've observed many more people enjoying the peace and seasonal beauty of Oakley Wood during the pandemic, showing just how important it is to the community.

“This award should help to confirm that it is being maintained to the high standard that the public expect and deserve. In addition, we have the exciting prospect of observing native British trees growing from saplings to young trees in the newly cleared areas."

Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making Oakley Wood worthy of a Green Flag Award.

“To meet the requirements demanded by the scheme is testament to the hard work of the staff and volunteers who do so much to ensure that Oakley Wood, Crackley Wood, Jephson Gardens and Mill Gardens all have high standards of horticulture, safety and environmental management and are places that support people to live healthy lives.”

Work is continuing this autumn at Oakley Wood to promote the establishment of native broadleaved trees as part of a 10-year woodland management plan, in partnership with the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust.