WARMINSTER Town Council is celebrating as its Lake Pleasure Grounds wins a Green Flag Award for the third year running.

This month parks and green spaces across the country will be raising their Green Flag Award with pride in a year when millions of people have seen the value of having great quality green spaces on their doorstep.

Among them will be the Lake Pleasure Grounds in Warminster, which is raising a Green Flag Award for the third year running.

It is one of more than 2,000 sites across the country to collect the award for 2020-21.

Cllr Denis Brett, chairman of the council's parks and recreation committee, said: “I am delighted that for the third successive year that we have been awarded the Green Flag.

"This says a lot for the hard work of town council officers, councillors and volunteers, so a warm thanks must go to them all.

"The park gives great pleasure across the age spectrum; the sheer tranquil setting gives us a good sense of wellbeing, assists with our mental health and offers a wide range of activities."

"We can engage with the wildlife, enjoy the beauty of the trees and have a socially distanced coffee from the park café with friends and family. We are truly blessed.”

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for their management across the United Kingdom and around the world.

Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: “This year, more than ever, our parks and green spaces have been a lifeline and we know that millions of people have used them to relax, meet friends, exercise or simply escape for a short time.

“It is testament to the incredible dedication and hard work of parks staff and volunteers that, despite the challenges that went along with record numbers of visitors, Warminster Town Council has achieved the highest international standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”