Mold’s Bailey Hill one of the country’s best green spaces

Mold’s Bailey Hill has been awarded a prestigious Green Flag, the international mark of a quality park or green space.

The Bailey Hill Tripartite Group are celebrating the recognition of its excellent visitor facilities, high environmental standards and commitment to delivering great quality green space. 

Bailey Hill is a Scheduled Ancient Monument site situated in a conservation area in the centre of Mold.

The park is managed by a tripartite group including Flintshire County Council, Mold Town Council and local charity Friends of Bailey Hill.

The park has recently undergone a huge amount of redevelopment work to improve the site and the facilities available for visitors.

Receiving this recognition has further emphasised how these recent improvements were needed 

The Green Flag Award programme is delivered in Wales by environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy, with support from Welsh Government. Independent green space experts volunteered their time to judge applicant sites against eight strict criteria, including biodiversity, cleanliness, environmental management, and community involvement. 

Bailey Hill was visited by judges in August 2021 who were guided around the site by members of the Bailey Hill Tripartite Group.

Once the site visit was complete the judges completed a report and included many encouraging remarks including:  

“This site displays an excellent example of strong effective team working. At the site visit it was clear that the various parties are passionate about their area of work, and also respect each other’s contributions.”

248 parks and green spaces across the country have received the prestigious Green Flag Award and Green Flag Community Award – from country parks and formal gardens, to allotments, woodlands and churchyards.

Julie James, the Welsh Government’s Minister for Climate Change said: “Green spaces are vital for mental and physical well-being and throughout the pandemic we have seen how important these spaces have been for local communities.

“Wales still holds more than a third of the UK’s Green Flag community sites and it is fantastic to see more places in Wales receiving Green Flag Award and Green Flag Community Award.

“These landscapes play a vital role in delivering rich ecosystems and vibrant and resilient communities, and I congratulate all of the site for providing excellent, year-round facilities and events for people in Wales.”

Cllr Glyn Banks Cabinet Member for Streetscene & Transportation said:

“We are honoured to receive the Green Flag award, which demonstrates the hard work that has gone into developing and managing Bailey Hill.”

“Local green spaces are vital to community wellbeing and wildlife, and Bailey Hill is a fantastic example of this right in the heart of Mold.”

“I would like to extend my thanks to the excellent partnership working, volunteers and staff who have worked so hard to maintain these high standards and allow us to fly the ‘Green Flag’.”

The Mayor of Mold Cllr. Sarah Taylor said: “I was incredibly proud to be at the presentation of the green flag status for Bailey Hill. It is an enormous credit to all that have been involved and is a great example of what true partnership working can achieve. ”

“The archaeological discoveries that have been made as part of the project are significant and I look forward to learning more about them as further information becomes available. We are so lucky to have such a great facility on our doorstep.”

For more information with regards to the project, please contact Jo Lane on 01352 872418 or email baileyhill@moldtowncouncil.org.uk.