07 Oct Halstead Public Gardens and open spaces win Gold at Anglia in Bloom awards
Halstead Public Gardens and other open spaces in Halstead have been recognised in this year’s Anglia in Bloom competition.
Braintree District Council and Halstead in Bloom entered this year’s virtual competition with Halstead Public Gardens winning a coveted Gold Award and overall Best Park.
The awards recognise the combined efforts of the operational team at Braintree District Council who maintains the gardens, working in partnership with Halstead in Bloom, Friends of Halstead Public Gardens and Halstead Town Council.
Halstead Public Gardens was gifted to the town by George Courtauld and opened in 1901. Over the years, the gardens have been managed and maintained by Braintree District Council.
Another award given this year was ‘Gold in the Cemeteries and Crematoria’ category, where Halstead Cemetery achieved Silver Gilt last year.
Furthermore, Silver Gilt Awards were achieved in the ‘Local Authority Best Wildlife Conservation’ category for Mill Chase Playing Field and Halstead River Walk. This is a fiercely contested category, with some contestants highlighting wetlands, estuaries and other areas which are largely undisturbed. To have achieved such a result for areas which receive a large footfall and are used by the general public every day is a huge achievement.
Councillor Wendy Schmitt, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and The Environment at Braintree District Council said: “It is fantastic news to win the Anglia in Bloom awards. We put a lot of effort into providing high quality public open spaces, because they have a real positive impact on people’s health and well-being, and we know how much our residents value and appreciate their local environment.
I would like to thank all our staff for the hard work they do throughout the year to preserve our parks and gardens, and the brilliant volunteers at Halstead in Bloom and our other partners who take such pride in their work to help keep the public gardens well maintained. Our open spaces are wonderful places to visit and are much-loved by the local community.”
Councillor Jackie Pell, Chairman of Friends of Halstead Public Gardens said: “We are very proud that the Halstead Public Gardens have won the Anglia in Bloom award. The Braintree District Council staff, as well as Halstead in Bloom volunteers, Friends of Halstead Public Gardens and Halstead Town Council, who maintain it do a fantastic job, and the park clearly means a lot to them. It is well used all year round and is also home to many events throughout the year.”
