A WOODLAND has won an award for being one of the best managed sites in the world.

Burnham Beeches, situated west of Farnham Common, has won a Green Flag this year.

The site was bought by the City Corporation in 1880 to protect it as a public open space and wildlife reserve.

It has been a Site of Special Scientific Interest since 1951, was declared a National Nature Reserve in 1993 and designated as a Special Area of Conservation in 2005.

The prestigious green flag scheme recognises parks and other green spaces as some of the very best managed sites in the world.  

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The international award, run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, and overseen by a panel of judges, is now into its third decade.  

The City Corporation, which manages Burnham Beeches as a registered charity, is a major green spaces provider in London and South East England.

It protects over 11,000 acres of open space and over 200 smaller ones in the Square Mile, investing over £38m a year.

They remove an estimated 16,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere every year, equivalent to 44 per cent of the City Corporation’s annual carbon footprint.

These sites, most of which are charitable trusts, are run at little or no cost to the communities that they serve.

They include wildlife habitats, special areas of conservation, sites of special scientific interest, and national nature reserves.

They are protected from being built on by special legislation.

The City Corporation’s Epping Forest and Commons Committee sets policy for Burnham Beeches.

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Chairman Ben Murphy said: “The Green Flag accreditation is issued to sites which meet the needs of local communities and the highest possible standards of management.

"It is testament to the continued hard work and skills of our loyal team of staff and volunteers that Burnham Beeches has been awarded this flag for the 17th year.”
Mr Murphy added this site is “critical” to the health and wellbeing of countless visitors and a large part of its appeal is the way the natural environment is maintained.”

He said: “Congratulations to all of the team for their success after a very difficult year.”

Burnham Beeches also claimed the Green Heritage in recognition of its historic features and the high standard of conservation.