Alexandra Palace Park is on a par with the country s finest parks, after receiving a sought-after Green Flag Award, which recognises and rewards the best parks in the country. The 196-acre park at Ally Pally had to meet eight stringent criteria to quali

Alexandra Palace Park is on a par with the country's finest parks, after receiving a sought-after Green Flag Award, which recognises and rewards the best parks in the country.

The 196-acre park at Ally Pally had to meet eight stringent criteria to qualify for the award and impressed judges with its excellent facilities including well managed green space, signage and amenities.

Park Manager Mark Evison was presented with the award last week at a ceremony in Bournemouth by TV presenter Michaela Strachan. "Receiving the award is a great tribute to the whole team here who work hard year-round to keep the park looking at its best and operating well as an amenity for the local community," said Mark.

Andrew Gill, Interim General Manager for Alexandra Palace Charitable Trust which manages Alexandra Park added: "Hundreds of thousands of people use Alexandra Park each year and it is a real asset for Haringey as a beautiful open space to enjoy. So residents too should feel proud that their park has received a Green Flag which acts as a standard to signify it is properly run and maintained."

Alexandra Palace is encouraging more people to use the park and its attractions this summer. A voucher can be downloaded from www.alexandrapalace.com for a 10% discount on ice skating sessions and on barbecues on the terrace at the Phoenix Bar at weekends (weather permitting). Other amenities to enjoy include pitch & putt; a boating lake; summer fun fair; deer park and regular Sunday farmers' markets.

The award is the second received by Ally Pally this year - its ice rink was voted London's top local sports centre by Smooth Radio listeners in April.

Green Flag Awards are run by environmental charity, Keep Britain Tidy, GreenSpace and BTCV.

Phil Barton chief executive, Keep Britain Tidy said: "I would like to congratulate this year's winners, who have worked hard throughout the year to keep their parks to a high standard and ensure they are pleasant and enjoyable spaces for the whole community."

1