They are the green gems close to the hearts of our towns.

And now a handful of parks and gardens across Huddersfield, Kirklees and Calderdale have been honoured with Green Flag awards.

The awards, from Keep Britain Tidy, signify the parks are among the best in the country.

And there was special praise for the community groups who work tirelessly to keep improving the parks.

Ironically, news of the awards comes as Kirklees Council looks set to slash its maintenance budget in many parks and gardens.

The authority wants to save more than £1.3m by reducing grass-cutting.

MORE: Kirklees reveals where it will stop cutting the grass near you

In Huddersfield there were Flag awards for Beaumont Park and Greenhead Park. Others in Kirklees to win were Crow Nest, Wilton Park and Oakwell Hall.

There were six winners in Calderdale: Wellholme at Brighouse, Bailiff Bridge Memorial Park, Manor Heath, Ogden Water, Shibden Estate and The Peoples Park.

Floral display at Wellholme Park, Brighouse
Floral display at Wellholme Park, Brighouse

There was also a special community award for the team working to maintain and improve All Hallows Churchyard in Kirkburton.

The wins delighted the volunteers who make up the Friends groups in both Huddersfield parks.

A total of 73 parks and green spaces across Yorkshire have been judged to be some of the best in the country. In all, 1582 parks, cemeteries, universities, shopping centres and community gardens in the UK have met the high standard needed to receive the Green Flag Award or the Green Flag Community Award.

The Green Flag Awards are judged by an army of more than 700 green-space experts, who volunteer their time to visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement.

Elland Silver Band perform at Beaumont Park.

The news comes in the week that thousands of people up and down the country are getting ready for Love Parks Week (July 24 to August 2), an annual celebration of our country’s fantastic green spaces and the community groups that bring them to life.

Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: “We are delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award scheme. All the flags flying this year are a testament to the efforts of the thousands of men and women, both staff and volunteers, who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”

Communities Minister Marcus Jones said: “Parks give millions of people and families a gateway to the great outdoors. They breathe life into communities by providing a much needed free space for physical activity and somewhere for children to play and are particularly important in town centres where many residents don’t have their own gardens”.