Park wins first Green Flag honour
HINCKLEY’S Argents Mead has won its first Green Flag Award, while Hollycroft Park has bagged its eighth.
The international award recognises parks and green spaces that have the highest possible environmental standards, are beautifully maintained and have excellent visitor facilities.
Hollycroft Park was also awarded a Green Flag, for the eighth time.
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough council’s executive member for neighbourhood services, Councillor Mark Nickerson, said: “These two awards are the icing on the cake.
“Ever since being elected, I have pressed the neighbourhood services team to have both the Hollycroft stream and Argents Mead fountain restored to their former glory. Well done to the team.”
The award recognises Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council’s substantial investment in Argents Mead over the past 18 months.
A state-of-the-art leisure centre opened in May 2016, followed by the creation of a new children’s play area there.
The leisure centre, whose facilities include a swimming pool and gym, won the Large Non-Residential Scheme of the Year award at the final of the 2016 ProCon Leicestershire Awards last year.
A fountain feature was also very recently restored in the moat in Argents Mead, after eight years out of service.
Further plans to improve the moat area include landscaping around its edge, by softening the existing concrete planting material.
Excavation work has also started to produce a 54m-long trench, for the installation of a new electricity supply.
Argents Mead is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, located on the site of the long-gone Hinckley Castle.
International Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: “We are delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award scheme.
“Each flag is a celebration of the thousands of staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to maintain high standards.
“The success of the scheme, especially in these challenging times, demonstrates just how much parks matter to people.” edging with