Top of tree for many of our green spaces

Glittering successes for borough at this year’s London in Bloom Awards

HILLINGDON is celebrating a brilliant set of results in the London in Bloom Awards.

The borough won gold and was named overall winner in four categories: Large City; Park of the Year for Eastcote House Gardens; Conservation Area for Long Meadow, in Eastcote; Small Conservation Area for Highgrove Woods, in Ruislip.

Breakspear Crematorium in Ruislip, and Eastcote House Gardens, in High Road, both retained gold awards in their categories.

Three of the borough’s new Green Flag sites – Manor Farm in Bury Street, Ruislip; Ruislip Lido in Reservoir Road; and Rural Activities Garden Centre in West Drayton Road, Hillingdon – also won gold awards.

The fourth new Green Flag site, Yeading Meadows, was given a Silver-Gilt award.

London boroughs with a population of more than 200,000 are judged in the Large City category in order to potentially compete in the larger Britain In Bloom contest, pitting them against regional cities. Green Flags are awarded for outstanding quality of parks and green spaces.

Councillor Jonathan Bianco, Hillingdon Council’s cabinet member for property, said: “This is a fantastic achievement.

“Our Green Spaces Team and our wonderful volunteer groups do a brilliant job in ensuring Hillingdon is a beautiful and green borough. This a well-deserved success.

“It was such a triumph to win gold in the Large City category last year and I am so proud that we have maintained such high standards. Let’s hope for similar success at the Britain in Bloom Awards next month.”

London in Bloom is an annual competition that has been running for more than 48 years. Its aim is to promote gardening and horticulture across the capital. Entries were judged in July.

Britain In Bloom winners are due to be announced on October 16.

See our picture gallery at www.getwestlondon.co.uk – search for ‘Hillingdon In Bloom’.