Green Flag awarded to Gloucester & Sharpness Canal by Marketing | Gloucester News Centre - http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk/Gloucester & Sharpness Canal has been awarded prestigious Green Flag status by Keep Britain Tidy.
The nation’s canal charity has held all its existing miles of Green Flags, with waterways across England and Wales maintaining the standard required for the international quality mark for parks and green spaces. The Canal & River Trust is delighted to have held these Green Flags in the face of significant challenges, not least the extensive damage from successive storms and floods that impacted the 250-year-old network last winter.
At 16 miles long, the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal was once the broadest and deepest in the world. Even today, it stands out from other navigations because of its sheer scale and impressive engineering as it connects Gloucester Docks with the River Severn at Sharpness.
The Green Flags further demonstrate the important role the 2,000-mile navigable canal network plays for local communities, bringing nature into the heart of the UK’s towns and cities and providing popular, accessible beauty spots across the country.
Richard Parry, chief executive at Canal & River Trust, said: “Our canals span 2,000 miles across England and Wales, and Green Flags have been awarded the length and breadth of the network, demonstrating the benefits these historic navigable waterways continue to bring to the 21st century. They offer free, accessible green space to millions of people across the country, provide vital homes for wildlife, and support the nation’s nature recovery, as well as being navigated, as they have been for centuries, by thousands of boats.
“These Green Flags are testament to our colleagues and volunteers who work hard to keep our canals clean and welcoming places for local communities and visitors. Caring for a 250-year-old canal network is a challenge, with our ageing waterways vulnerable to changing weather patterns, daily wear and tear, and perennial problems like litter and encroaching vegetation.
“We are redoubling our efforts to keep canals alive, working with funders, partners and our growing volunteer support. We have also started the dialogue with the new government about the role our network can play – in part illustrated by these Green Flags – to so many communities across the country.”
Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk