PARKS in Shaldon, Teignmouth, and two in Newton Abbot raise the prestigious Green Flag Award after achieving international quality mark for parks and green spaces.

Teignbridge District Council is celebrating the news after receiving a Green Flag Award for Teignmouth Den, Courtenay Park and Decoy Country Park and Local Nature Reserve in Newton Abbot and Homeyards Botanical Gardens in Shaldon.

Councillor John Nutley, Executive Member for Open Spaces, Leisure, Sport, Resorts and Tourism, said: ‘The news that four of our parks have achieved this accreditation - the international quality mark for parks and green spaces - is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team that cares for our green spaces, so that visitors and residents alike can enjoy it.’

The Green Flag Award scheme is managed by Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.

The awards recognise and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, Paul Todd MBE, said: ‘I would like to congratulate everyone involved on achieving the Green Flag Awards in Teignbridge.

‘They are a vital green space for communities in the district to socialise, enjoy nature, for children to play safely and it provides important opportunities for park users to improve their physical and mental health.

‘We know that staff and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that it maintains the high standards of the Green Flag Award, everyone involved should feel extremely proud of their achievement.’