Three borough towns have struck gold in this year’s regional Britain in Bloom Awards.
Halesowen, Stourbridge and Quarry Bank all received gold at the annual Heart of England In Bloom Awards held yesterday in Rugby.
Stourbridge won gold in the Large Town category, while Halesowen and Quarry Bank won gold in the Urban Communities category.
Judges praised the horticultural teams, made up of Dudley Council staff and volunteers, for their hard work in turning their towns into an oasis of colour for the summer months.
Workers from the council’s green care, street cleansing and lighting teams worked with volunteers spending hundreds of hours carefully tending floral displays in the three towns. It ensured they were in tip-top condition for when the judges visited earlier in the year.
Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for environmental, highways and street services, said:
The three towns will now be in contention to win a national In Bloom award later this year.
Halesowen is also in line for international recognition. The town welcomed judges from America and Canada earlier this year and volunteers will find out in October if they are successful against other towns from across the world in the Communities in Bloom contest.
