Knutsford Town Council is celebrating as Knutsford Cemetery has received the prestigious Green Flag Award, an international quality mark for the management of parks and green spaces.
Responsibility for the cemetery transferred to Knutsford Town Council in January 2020 and since then it has worked to improve the quality of management of the cemetery and bereavement services, receiving numerous compliments from visitors who recognise the investment and attention the cemetery is now receiving.
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.
“Attaining the award is testament to the quality of management the Town Council has instigated, through our cemetery working group, since we took back its operation two years ago. The award particularly recognises the work of our Cemetery Groundskeeper, Fergal Owens, who has worked incredibly hard to improve the quality of grounds maintenance and our Planning and Facilities Officer Bob Allen who has put in place strong management practices” said Town Mayor, Cllr Mike Houghton.
The council will be continuing to improve the cemetery and deliver on its new five-year management plan. The council is currently creating a new cremation garden and later this year will be improving the entranceway to the cemetery, over the coming years it will create additional flowerbeds, install cycle parking and develop its customer engagement.
Knutsford Cemetery is the third green space in Knutsford to be awarded the Green Flag, joining Cheshire East managed areas The Moor and Tatton Park.