Connaught Gardens wins accolade for 11th year running

Connaught Gardens in Sidmouth is officially still among the best in the country.

The attraction has again received the prestigious Green Flag Award - a sign to visitors that the park is a well-maintained and well-managed high quality green space with excellent facilities.

It is the 11th year in a row the gardens have landed the accolade.

They will be among 14,276 green spaces to fly the flag.

The national award, handed out by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, recognises and rewards the best parks and green spaces across the country.

Councillor Iain Chubb, the district council’s cabinet member for the environment, said: “When you have won an award like this for several years in succession, it’s easy to become complacent and take it for granted. Standards and public expectations go up and the kind of funding available to provide plants goes down. So I am doubly proud of the gardening staff who work so hard in all weathers to provide our towns with the kind of gardens and floral displays that give East Devon the wow factor. It’s a team effort and we are grateful as ever for the important contribution of Britain in Bloom volunteers to the continuing success in this competition.”