SHREWSBURY has scooped gold in this year’s regional Heart of England in Bloom competition.

Judges visited the town on July 18 when hundreds of floral hanging baskets, planters and containers, installed by the town council, were judged against exacting criteria.

The results were announced at an event in Wolverhampton on September 15.

The gold award is given to “exceptional achievers who have demonstrated a consistently high standard in all areas of the judging criteria”.

Judges praised Shrewsbury for its “fine floral displays”, especially the “magnificent display” in the Dingle.

Special mention was also made of the town’s commitment to sustainable planting and to the Shrewsbury in Bloom committee’s involvement with local schools and community projects.

Cllr Jackie Brennand, chairman of Shrewsbury in Bloom, said she was delighted.
“We have received excellent comments from the judges and are thrilled to receive a gold award for our floral excellence.

“We took on board feedback from last year and worked hard to strengthen our entry into the 2011 competition.

“One of the main developments this year has been the launch of our Shrewsbury in Bloom education pack which aims to help local schools create and actively use a garden space.

“Winning Gold for the second year running is a fantastic achievement and we are already planning our entry for 2012 when the icing on the cake would be to go forward and represent the region in Britain in Bloom.”

Helen Ball, town clerk, added: “So many people work incredibly hard on preparing for Bloom every year and I would like to thank everyone who is involved, not just those who work for Shrewsbury Town Council but also our partners at Shropshire Council who make sure the streets are clean, freshly painted and free of graffiti to add to the overall effect, our businesses who sponsor the traffic islands and purchase hundreds of hanging baskets each year and our residents.

“Everyone pulls together for the best possible effect and the results speak for themselves.”