Boston Borough Council is celebrating after receiving a Green Flag Award for Central Park for the first time.
The Green Flag Award is an internationally recognised standard for parks and green spaces, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.
Central Park is one of a record breaking 2,391 in the UK to achieve the award this year – a fantastic testament to the hard work, passion and dedication of the teams and volunteers who care for this green space, ensuring it is maintained to a high standard for visitors and residents to enjoy.
Boston Borough Council and Boston Town Area Committee set out to achieve the coveted award for the first time and developed a comprehensive management plan to help secure Green Flag status.
Significant improvements have since been delivered through a combination of council investment, partnership working and the support of local volunteers.
A judge visited the park in May who assessed it against nine key criteria, including welcoming place, environmental management, biodiversity, safety, cleanliness, community involvement and overall management.
As part of the programme of improvements, two substantial new planting beds were created along the main entrance pathway. Volunteers from Boston in Bloom dedicated their time to planting new shrubs, while local business JCS Driveways provided three members of staff to assist with tree planting.
The park has also benefited from the creation of a new wildlife habitat area to encourage biodiversity, alongside the installation of new inclusive pathways that enable more people to access and enjoy nature areas and quiet spaces throughout the park.
Further improvements include renovation and clearance work around the buoy to improve accessibility, enhancements to shrub beds throughout the park, and the careful restoration of existing benches. The benches were stripped back, refurbished by the Council's Neighbourhoods team and repositioned across the park to provide improved seating areas for visitors.
Funding provided by the Boston Partnership Fund and UK Shared Prosperity Fund has helped deliver more inclusive pathways, ensuring even greater access for residents and visitors to enjoy the park and its natural surroundings.
