County park tops national cleanliness ranking

Edinburgh scored the highest in the UK, while Telford’s award-winning Town Park topped the rankings in England.

LitterBins.co.uk’s conclusion comes after the organization analyzed some of the UK’s most popular parks based on TripAdvisor reviews, Google reviews and overall quality score.

The study also looked at local area dissatisfaction with litter removal to reveal the cleanest parks in the UK.

Telford Town Park, which attracts around 700,000 visitors each year, received a high score of 4.6/5 on Google.

The park also achieved its highest score because Telford had the lowest score for dissatisfaction with rubbish disposal in the study, at just 13/85.

Telford and Gateshead were the only two towns to feature in the top ten; all other highest-scoring parks were located in the UK’s largest cities, including Edinburgh, London, Cardiff, Belfast and Birmingham.

Telford Town Park, which has held a prestigious Green Flag since 2004, is owned and managed by Telford & Wrekin Council and supported by Friends of Telford Town Park and maintenance contractor, idverde.

There are 54 bins within the 450 acres of Town Park. In total, they are emptied more than 19,000 times a year, with bins emptied daily or more frequently during peak periods.

The park has its own team of rangers who carry out daily checks and regularly patrol the area. People can report any litter issues to the council using the MyTelford app.

There is also an active group of Friends of Town Park volunteers who help with work, including trash collection.

Councilor Carolyn Healy, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Planning and Sustainability, said: “This new study is a fantastic pat on the back for everyone involved in keeping our urban park so beautiful, from the visitors who use our bins so diligently to our partners at idverde who maintain the park and its bins so well, and the Friends group volunteers whose dedication and hard work are greatly appreciated.”

Councilor Angela McClements, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Tourism, Culture and the Arts, added: “I am delighted that this study sheds light on satisfaction levels among our park users. It’s great to hear they are happy with the park and it’s wonderful to see Telford punch above its weight once again, topping a national survey. Justly”.

Adrian Smith, chairman of Friends of Telford Town Park, said: “This is wonderful news and thought-provoking for everyone involved in the town park. It’s nice to take part in keeping the city park clean and tidy. “Everyone must contribute to maintaining the city park to a high standard.”

Shaun Rhodes, operational delivery director at idverde, said: “As a service provider to Telford & Wrekin Council, this is a great result for idverde.

“The team works hard seven days a week. In addition to cleaning operations, they maintain open spaces, shrub and flower beds, and a daily inspection of the play area. All of this ensures that the park is clean, maintained and safe for all users.”