THE Vale Council has been criticised for withdrawing from the Green Flag park status.
The Vale was one of the leading areas in Wales for award-winning parks before the county council decided in 2024 to withdraw from the scheme in a cost-cutting move.
This year, the Vale Council has continued with its stance on the scheme, with one of the local authority’s cabinet members saying parks remain well maintained and continue to “offer excellent amenity value”.
The Conservative group leader at the council, Cllr George Carroll, said he wasn’t surprised with the council’s move, calling the Labour administration “out of touch” and criticising the decision to allow an aqua park at Cosmeston Lake this summer.
Photo: Vale Council.
The council’s leader, Cllr Lis Burnett, said: “We fully recognise how important our parks and green spaces are to our residents and continue to maintain them to a high standard.
“We withdrew from the external scheme last year as we work towards a more sustainable approach with greater use of perennial plants, trees and local species to support local biodiversity.
“Over the coming year, we will be talking to local communities about how they want to use ‘green and blue spaces’, which will guide how we manage parks, open spaces and our coastline.”
Parks that lost Green Flag status included: Alexandra Park; Belle Vue Park and Cosmeston Lakes Country Park (all in Penarth). In Barry, Central Park, Gladstone Gardens, Knap Gardens, Porthkerry Country Park and Romilly Park no longer qualify for a flag.
Not being under the scheme meant the council did not have to undertake some of the higher level horticultural tasks required or pay an external organisation to have parks formally accredited. A council document published in March, 2025 showed that the council saved £140,000 from the decision.
In March, the council announced that it planned to enter into an agreement with Aqua Park Group to pilot an aqua park with inflatable slides and climbing frames at the eastern side of Cosmeston Lake from May 2025 to September 2025.
Photo: Vale Council.
Cllr Carroll mentioned this in his response about the council’s continuation of its Green Flag park status policy.
He said: “This move is not surprising, given the council’s desire to open an aqua park at Cosmeston Lakes. These plans are completely unsuitable for this location and have no regard for the natural environment or unique qualities that make Cosmeston so special.
“This out of touch Labour council should be protecting green spaces like Cosmeston, not subjecting them to overdevelopment.”
Photo: Vale Council.
Cllr Chris Franks (Plaid Cymru) joined the condemnation, saying: “Plaid councillors opposed this scandalous decision.”
So far, 3,537 have signed a Change.org petition calling for the aqua park not to be installed.
The Vale Council’s director of place, Marcus Goldsworthy, said the move presented an opportunity for the council to generate income for improving park facilities at Cosmeston.
He also said a number of conditions will be attached to any licence agreement moving forward to ensure ecologically important areas of the park are protected.
Photo: Vale Council.
On Green Flag park status concerns, the Vale Council cabinet member for neighbourhood and building services, Cllr Mark Wilson said: “The decision not to apply for the Green Flag Award was made in 2024, and that decision has remained in place for 2025/26 as part of continuing cost-saving measures, so I am surprised that this matter is being raised now.
“It is necessary to ensure that we run our services as efficiently as possible, and the decision was made in line with the Council’s budget strategy which is to protect education and social care services as a priority and this strategy was supported by the majority of respondents in our most recent budget consultation.”
By Ted Peskett, Local Democracy Reporter
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