Bute Park and three other city parks have retained their prestigious Green Flag status.
Following independent assessments of the parks in May, judges awarded Bute Park, Roath Park, Victoria Park and Grange Gardens Green Flags for 2009. It will be the second year Bute Park has achieved this status.
In order to achieve Green Flag status the judges needed to be satisfied that all the parks met key criteria. They examined the council's management plans and policies for the parks and were satisfied that areas such as access, safety, environmental policies, conservation and heritage, community involvement and good overall management were in place.
Judges visited all the parks and spoke to both staff and public before reaching their decisions.
The Green Flag Award is the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales. The award scheme began in 1996 as a means of recognising and rewarding the best green spaces in the country. It was also seen as a way of encouraging others to achieve the same high environmental standards, creating a benchmark of excellence in recreational green areas.
Councillor Nigel Howells, Executive member for Sport, Leisure & Culture, said: "I am delighted that four Cardiff parks have been awarded Green Flags. I think the quality of green spaces in this city is unrivalled and this award underlines the hard work Cardiff Council has undertaken in preserving and maintaining our parks.
"With Bute Park in particular I am especially delighted as the judges were given details about our improved access plans as well as the £5.6m restoration project, supported by a £3.1m grant from the HLF, to restore, enhance and help people learn about the many historic features in the park including the Blackfriars Friary and West Lodge.
"It is clear that judges see our parks as thriving, popular sites run by a dedicated and enthusiastic parks department who work closely with the community."
Paul Bramhill chief executive at GreenSpace added: “The Green Flag accreditation is becoming key to attracting visitors and local people to parks and promoting them as a high quality leisure destination. Our volunteer judges report a year on year improvement.”
