Four parks in and around Broughton have won Green Flag awards in this year's competition run by Keep Britain Tidy (KBT).
Inverleith and Victoria Parks achieved the accolade for the first time. Hopetoun Crescent Garden retained its award for the second time since its first win in 2009. London Road Gardens also retained an award. In total, Edinburgh took 20 of the 34 Green Flags across Scotland.
Parks and green spaces applying for the award are judged against eight criteria: (a) a welcoming place; (b) healthy, safe and secure; (c) clean and well maintained; (d) sustainability; (e) conservation and heritage; (f) community involvement; (g) marketing; (h) management.
Hopetoun Crescent Garden's success may therefore come as something of a relief and a surprise to locals, who as recently as April (Issue 194) voiced long-term concerns at anti-social behaviour there, urination, intimidation, littering, dog-fouling, damage to plants and police indifference.
KBT claims that recent research proves high-quality parks and green spaces play a vital role within local communities, contributing to the local environment and economy, individuals' health and well-being, and in bringing the community together.They also point to a new study by The UK National Ecosystems Assessment which demonstrates that health benefits of living with a view of green space are worth up to £300 per person per year.