The Mayor of Erewash, Councillor Abey Stevenson, will officially raise the Green Flag at Straw’s Bridge Nature Reserve in West Hallam on Thursday 3 November at 2pm – a celebration to mark the site’s Green Flag success for the second year running.
The Mayor will be joined by members of the Friends of Straw’s Bridge group for the flag raising ceremony, which confirms the site as one of the best in the country.
The national award, handed out by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, recognises the best parks and green spaces across the country. A Green Flag flying overhead is a sign to visitors that the area boasts the highest possible standards and is well maintained.
The popular beauty spot was declared a Local Nature Reserve by Erewash Borough Council in 2015 along with the nearby Manor Floods area of Ilkeston.
Councillor Mike Wallis, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Culture and Leisure, says:
“To see the coveted Green Flag flying over Straw’s Bridge for the second year running will be a very proud moment for the council and the Friends volunteers who work with us in not only making it a beautiful visitor attraction but a haven for animals and insects too.”
Straw’s Bridge is owned by the council and features three ponds that are surrounded by woodland, scrub, meadow and wetland. It attracts many varieties of birds but is particularly famous for its swans – leading to its affectionate nickname ‘Swan Lake’.
