These are the Hastings and St Leonards parks awarded Green Flag status

Alexandra Park, St Leonards Gardens and Hastings Country Park received the accolade as part of the Green Flag Award scheme.

The scheme is managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

It recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for their management across the UK and around the world.

Cllr Maya Evans, lead councillor for natural environment and leisure at Hastings Borough Council, said: “Throughout the pandemic our parks and green spaces have played a vital role in providing people with an area to relax, exercise and meet friends and family safely.

“The news that Hastings has retained our three Green Flag status parks is testament to the hard work and dedication of not only our team but also volunteers and those that continue to clear up after themselves and report any issues they notice to us.

“This helps ensure that these green spaces are places that everyone can enjoy.”

Paul Todd, Green Flag Award scheme manager, said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making Alexandra Park, St Leonards Gardens and Hastings Country Park worthy of a Green Flag Award.

“To meet the requirements demanded by the scheme is testament to the hard work of the staff and volunteers who do so much to ensure that these sites have high standards of horticulture, safety and environmental management and is a place that supports people to live healthy lives.”