Queen Elizabeth Country Park accredited

11 January 2010

Queen Elizabeth Country Park near Petersfield is the first Park in the region to be formally accredited under Natural England's Country Parks Accreditation Scheme showing that it fully reflects the role of a modern Country Park.

The Country Parks Accreditation Scheme requires that

• The site must be at least 10 hectares and have an identifiable boundary.
• Entry must be free (not including the cost of car parking).
• There must be an access plan to show that the site is readily accessible to the population that it is intended to serve.
• A commitment to Equality Standards or equivalent must be in place.
• The site must be avaliable for public or educational events.

A scoring system is used to help Natural England reach their decision as well as visits by external assessors or 'mystery shoppers'.

The success of Queen Elizabeth Country Park in achieving accreditation is a testament to the diverse range of facilities, furnishings and services on offer at the PArk, and to the direction shown by the Hampshire Countryside Service where access, equality and education are concerned".