London in Bloom awards local open space in the 'Common of the Year' category


Putney Lower Common - Andrew Wilson

Once again it was double glory for the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators as they announced that Putney Lower Common and Wimbledon Common were both awarded Gold in the “Common of the Year” category of this year’s London in Bloom competition.

Last year was the the first time that Putney Lower Common has been entered into the competition and it won gold that year as well. In addition Wimbledon Common has been named the overall 2018 winner in this category – a much coveted award.

The London in Bloom campaign celebrates and recognises the passion Londoners have for greening their Capital city.

Wimbledon Common and Putney Lower Common were entered into the competition under the
Parks and Green Space Awards, within which the Common of the Year sits. Assessed under a broad range of criteria including community involvement, conservation, maintenance of facilities and ensuring the welfare of users, both Commons scored extremely well in all categories. As a result both of these special areas were presented with gold awards having been judged to have reached an ‘outstanding’ standard, achieving a score of over 85% in the judges marking criteria.

The independent judge said: “The Head Ranger has brought his considerable expertise to Putney
and the refurbished container/workshop/tool storage facility is a great addition; although the
Common is maintained for its natural look, there are areas of wildflowers which have been
deliberately created especially near the new compound to soften the area.”

Simon Lee, Chief Executive of the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators said: "These awards are a fantastic recognition of the hard work all our staff and volunteers put in to
ensure the Commons remain a wonderful place to visit."

September 28, 2018