Three sites in Barry and Penarth have been awarded Green Flag status.
Three sites in Barry and Penarth have been awarded Green Flag status.
The Merthyr Dyfan and Penarth cemeteries have been recognised, along with the West House Garden, for high environmental standards, including maintenance and visitor facilities.
But ten green spaces and parks, managed by Vale Council, have lost their status after the local authority decided not to enter this year's awards.
The Porthkerry and Cosmeston Lakes country parks are among those who have been stripped of their titles, as well as the Knap Gardens in Barry and the Windsor Gardens in Penarth.
A spokesperson for Keep Wales Tidy said: "The Vale of Glamorgan Council have made the decision not to put their sites forward this year, we hope this is something that they will revisit and are keen to work with them in the future."
Bro Radio News has contacted the county council for a response.
Of the three successful sites, the Merthyr Dyfan cemetery is managed by Barry Town Council while the Penarth Cemetery and the West House Garden are both overseen by Penarth Town Council.
Another 18 green spaces in the Vale were awarded Green Flag Community Awards including gardens, orchards and nature reserves.
The Arcot Triangle in Penarth and Our Health Meadow at Llandough Hospital were both recognised for the first time.
The other community award winners from the Vale are:
- Barry Community Garden
- The Bridge Between Community Garden, Barry Uniting Church
- Bee Loud Glade, near Dyffryn
- Birchgrove Woodlands
- Cwm Talwg Local Nature Reserve
- Elizabethan Orchard
- Friends of Victoria Square, Penarth
- Goldsland Farm
- Lanlay Orchard, nr Peterston-super-Ely
- Little Hill Brock Street, Barry
- Nightingale Garden, Dinas Powys
- Old Hall Gardens, Cowbridge
- Upper Orchard Field, Wenvoe
- Welsh Orchard, Wenvoe
- Wenvoe Community Orchard
- Wenvoe Wild Orchard
Despite the fall in the number of full awards in the Vale, there are now a record 291 Green Flags at parks and green spaces across Wales, including 199 community sites, ranging from university campuses and housing associations to farms and allotments.
Keep Wales Tidy says the award benchmarks green spaces, so that visitors know they're visiting an exceptional place with the highest standards.
Huw Irranca Davies, the newly appointed climate change secretary, said:“I am delighted that Wales now has more community-awarded green flag sites than any other country in the world! "
"We are already ranked as the second best recycling nation in the world and today's news is another example of how Wales is leading the way and we are working towards a stronger, greener nation."
"The standards required to achieve Green Flag status are very high, so I'm extremely pleased to see an additional 31 sites achieving this goal and want to congratulate all of the sites recognised for providing excellent facilities to local people and visitors alike."
“Our local green spaces play a vital role in connecting us to nature, supporting biodiversity and providing opportunities for healthy recreation.”
Owen Derbyshire, chief executive of Keep Wales Tidy, added:“We're thrilled to see a record number of 291 green spaces in Wales receive prestigious Green Flag and Green Flag Community Awards, recognising the hard work of all involved in maintaining these sites."
“In particular, we're so proud to see Wales is home to even more community awarded sites, ensuring accessibility to high quality green space for everyone, with our sites playing such an important role in the physical and mental wellbeing of communities across Wales.”
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