Conservation group reveals the Lancashire parks which have won coveted Green Flag awards

Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy revealed the names of the 232 parks across the north west that have collected a Green Flag Award for 2021, as the scheme celebrates 25 years as the international quality mark for parks.

Among those that have received the award for 2021 is Worden Park, in Leyland, one of only four parks that have received a Green Flag Award every year since the scheme launched in 1996.

Joining Worden Park for the first time this year are new winners Wigan Canal Flight, while parks to have maintained Green Flag status include Haslam Park, Preston; Regent Park, Morecambe; Fairhaven Lake and gardens, Lytham St Annes; Astley Park, Chorley and Ightenhill Park, in Burnley.

More than 2,100 parks across the UK have received a Green Flag award this year, a record number.

Research carried out by YouGov for Keep Britain Tidy over the summer shows just how important parks are to the British public.

It reveals that having access to a quality park or green space helped improve people’s mental health with almost six in ten (59 per cent) saying they felt less stressed when using the park and 55 per cent saying they felt more positive in general.

The survey also showed that more than half of people (53 per cent) visit a park or green space at least once a week and more than nine in ten (93 per cent) think that parks and green spaces are important to their local community.

Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said: “As the Award celebrates 25 years of raising the standard, Keep Britain Tidy is delighted to be the custodian of a scheme that does so much to ensure our parks and green spaces go from strength to strength.

“At a time when parks have been at the heart of every community across the country it is perhaps not surprising that 95% of the public thinks that their local parks and green spaces need to be protected.

“This is why the Green Flag Award is so important. It ensures that parks and green spaces are managed to the highest standards and are safe and accessible for everyone to enjoy and we look forward to the next 25 years.”

The Green Flag Award scheme recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across the United Kingdom.

For a full list of Green Flag Award-winning parks and green spaces, visit keepbritaintidy.org/local-authorities/improve-public-spaces/green-flag-award

Support us and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.