Altrincham town centre scooped an all-encompassing three gold awards in the recent RHS North West in Bloom Awards.

• Stamford Quarter wins Gold
• Altrincham In Bloom awarded Gold
• Altrincham BID scooped Gold

Altrincham in Bloom received their 7th Gold award in the Large Town category. The national Gold award encompasses year-round work done by a small team of volunteers. There are currently 13 projects around the town plus regular town-wide litter picking efforts which are approaching the 4,000 bags of rubbish mark.

The Stamford Quarter won a discretionary award of ‘Best Commercial Effort’ and a sixth Gold award for Small Retail/Commercial/Industrial Park Category for its stunning floral and green displays.

Altrincham BID won the prestigious Best BID award for the second consecutive year, along with the Gold Award in the BID category, recognising its impactful initiatives to enhance the town’s appeal. The BID funds the railing planters at Altrincham Interchange, additional planting and maintenance throughout the town, and insurance for the Altrincham in Bloom and Our Altrincham volunteers, enabling vital community-driven planting and litter-picking efforts. A rolling programme of jet washing also keeps the town inviting and clean. These initiatives are all designed to enhance the visitor experience, foster a welcoming atmosphere, and encourage longer stays.

Britain in Bloom judges visited the scheme in July and were impressed with the landscaping, planters and Foundation building’s magnificent 375 sq m living biophilic wall. The living wall has had a transformative effect on the building’s facade and has helped to create a welcoming gateway into the heart of Altrincham town centre. The living wall comprises 36,000 carefully selected plants grown by I Want Plants in South Manchester. The HYVERT green wall has helped to reduce the building’s carbon emissions and create a habitat for over 125 invertebrate wildlife species. It uses rainfall to sustain the planting and the structure absorbs both airborne and noise pollution from the adjacent surroundings.

Additional planting has also been installed on George Street, Stamford New Road and Stamford Square, giving the area a welcoming atmosphere and helping to improve biodiversity.

North West in Bloom is part of the RHS Britain in Bloom competition which this year celebrated its 60th anniversary with the theme of Friendship. The competition is judged in the Summer  by horticultural experts who work on a voluntary basis.

Commenting on the award, Rob Elsom from the Stamford Quarter, said:

“We are delighted to have won the prestigious gold award for our beautiful displays. They are testament to all the hard work that goes into creating them and the impact they have made in the Stamford Quarter.  We are already looking forward to 2025 and new displays.”

“We’re absolutely thrilled to win the Best BID Award and a Gold for Altrincham in the North West in Bloom Awards,” said Mandy White, BID Director. “The railing planters at the interchange and the vibrant displays throughout town create a warm welcome for visitors and contribute significantly to the town’s inviting atmosphere. Both play a key role in encouraging people to visit and enjoy Altrincham.”

She added, “A huge thank you to Sarah Walmsley and the incredible Altrincham in Bloom volunteers for their dedication and hard work. Their contributions have been essential in making this recognition possible.”

Sarah Walmsley, Chair of Altrincham in Bloom, said:

”I am so proud and grateful to our volunteers who work tirelessly all year round to create, develop and maintain the green spaces and features within our town which bring smiles to people’s faces and offer a warm welcome to visitors. When you arrive in Altrincham, you can immediately see how clean and well cared for it is and this puts people immediately at ease. It also encourages people to behave well in our town and that engenders a feeling of safety. We are grateful to Altrincham BID and Trafford Council for their support and encouragement and are delighted to be an integral part of a voluntary/public/private collaborative success story.”

Cllr Liz Patel, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration, said: “This is wonderful news and I am absolutely delighted for all the award winners. Well done to everyone for their hard work in making Altrincham the fabulous place it is today. ”