THE Lodge Grounds in North Berwick have been nominated for a national award.

The park is among 360 nominated – 35 in Scotland – for the Fields in Trust UK’s Best Park, with a public vote now open to determine the winners.

The UK’s Best Park Award will see the park with the most votes in each of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland shortlisted and nominators invited to attend the prestigious Fields in Trust awards at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London next month.

Hilary Smith, chairwoman of North Berwick Community Council, was delighted with the park’s nomination.

She told the Courier: “It is a fantastic space for all of the community to use and enjoy.

“The safe, well-maintained paths are regularly used by walkers, mobility scooter users, dog walkers and others who are taking the scenic shortcut to the town centre.

“For the less active there are quiet places to sit and enjoy the peacefulness of the gardens, choosing between the formal rose garden and aviary and the lavender lawns with their lines of standing stones.”

North Berwick Coastal Area Partnership also recognises the importance of the Lodge Grounds.

It has agreed to support improving the amenity by funding the first steps in providing accessible toilets that will be open all year round.

Helen Griffiths, Fields in Trust chief executive, said: “Despite their health benefits, parks and green spaces are facing an uncertain future – across the UK outdoor spaces are under threat.

“The UK’s Best Park Award celebrates the parks and green spaces which are so vital to the communities that use them.”

Last year, Rouken Glen Park in East Renfrewshire was named the UK’s Best Park out of a field of 214 nominations.

This year a much bigger number of 360 local parks have been nominated and are available for public vote on the Fields in Trust website.