The winners of each category for Flintshire’s 2013 Best Kept Communities have received their prizes at an awards evening held at County Hall recently.
The winner for the best kept village with a population of under 1000 was Llanfynydd (for the second year running) with Ysceifiog in second place. Pontybodkin was awarded third prize.
Northop was the winner of the best kept community with a population of over 1000 and under 5000, and Higher Kinnerton won second prize. Bretton came third.
Mold was the winner of the best kept town centre, Holywell came second, and third prize went to Mynydd Isa.
The best kept senior citizens’ estate was won by Ffordd Gwynedd in Northop, with second prize going to Ochr y Bryn in Halkyn. Moel Famau in New Brighton came third and a certificate of merit is awarded to Bennetts Lane, Higher Kinnerton.
The Chair of the Council, Cllr Carolyn Thomas said:
“The number and standard of entries has increased this year. I am sure that the judges, Maureen and Fred Gillmore and Les Starling had a difficult job in choosing the winners.
“The emphasis is very much on making communities better places to live for people and for wildlife. With the late Spring, there had been concerns that our communities may not see so many flowers this year, but the competition is about so much more than flowers being in bloom.
“The competition is only possible because of the people who enter it and because of the sponsors, who this year are Airbus, Clwyd Alyn Housing Association, Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd, Toyota and Warwick Chemicals. We are very grateful for their continued support.”
The judges spent almost three days visiting the communities which had entered the competition and were particularly impressed with the work which had gone into creating school gardens. This was also the first year that the competition has had a specific category for Community Gardens and Wildlife areas, which was won by Bryn y Baal Quarry. For a second year running, the judges also decided to make a special award, this year recognising Higher Kinnerton Eco School.
The prize winners are listed below.
Section A – Best Kept Village /Community under 1000 population
First prize: Llanfynydd £150
Second prize: Ysceifiog £100
Third prize: Pontybodkin £75
Section B – Best Kept Village/Community over 1000 and below 5000 population
First prize: Northop £150
Second prize: Higher Kinnerton £100
Third prize: Bretton £75
Section C – Best Kept Town Centre (over 5000 population)
First prize: Mold £150
Second prize: Holywell £100
Third prize Mynydd Isa £75
Section D – Best Kept Senior Citizen Estate
First prize: Ffordd Gwynedd, Northop £100
Second prize: Ochr y Bryn, Halkyn £75
Third prize: Moel Famau, New Brighton £50
Certificate of Merit Bennetts Lane, Higher Kinnerton £25
Section E – Best Kept Community Garden/Wildlife area
First prize: Bryn y Baal Quarry £150
Second prize: Greenfield Valley Community Garden £100
Third prize: Greenbank Villas Homeless Hostel £75
Certificate of Merit Pen y Maes Woods £25
Judges’ Special award
Higher Kinnerton Eco school (Ysgol Derwen) £50
Photograph: Pictured with Cllr Carolyn Thomas are this year’s winners of the Best Kept Communities competition.
