The Mayor of Douglas Debbie Pitts welcomed Green Flag judges David Cochrane and Tim Speller to Douglas town hall.
Mr Cochrane and Mr Speller were in the island to assess six council-owned sites submitted by the council for Green Flag status.
Managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy the Green Flag awards scheme recognises excellence in parks and green spaces and judges them against eight criteria including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement.
Since 2013 when Douglas first entered the contest, the council has been consistently successful, increasing its tally of green flags each year. At its first attempt Douglas was awarded flags for Noble’s Park and the Marine Gardens; 2014 saw two more flags added, Douglas golf course and Douglas Head; in 2015 Hutchinson Square brought the count to five and in 2016 a sixth flag was added when Douglas borough crematorium and cemetery achieved green flag status.
Flag holders must apply each year to renew their status and, for 2017, the Council has entered the above six sites once more.
Douglas remains the sole local authority in the Island to have been awarded green flags.
Photo - The Mayor of Douglas Debbie Pitts and mayoress Linda Curphey with Green Flag judges David Cochrane, second left and Tim Speller, second right. Also pictured are the park service's Graham Newsome, the council’s chief executive Kathleen Rice, regeneration and environment director Dana Enyon, head of parks Dave Hewes and the parks service's Martin Higgins. Photo Andrew Barton.
