Nottingham City Council is celebrating today after securing 10 Green Flag Awards and five Green Heritage Site Accreditations, marking a significant milestone in the city’s journey back to being one of the UK’s leading local authorities for high-quality parks and green spaces.
The awards recognise the very best-managed parks and green spaces across the country and are an international benchmark for quality, safety, sustainability and community value.
Nottingham’s success includes Green Flags for:
Arboretum*
Bilborough Park
Forest Recreation Ground*
Highfields Park*
King Edward Park
Sandy Banks Nature Reserve
The Green Heart
Victoria Embankment*
Wollaton Hall & Deer Park*
Woodthorpe Grange Park
Five of these sites have also achieved Green Heritage Site Accreditation*, recognising the outstanding management and promotion of their historic features.
The city’s achievement is further strengthened by partners across Nottingham, with the University of Nottingham securing two Green Flag Awards, Nottingham Trent University securing three Green Flag Awards, and the Nottingham & Beeston Canal achieving one Green Flag Award.
This year’s success represents a remarkable turnaround for Nottingham. Not long ago, the city held one of the largest Green Flag portfolios of any local authority in the country. However, years of financial pressures and budget savings meant difficult decisions had to be made, resulting in fewer sites being entered for assessment.
The achievement reflects the commitment of park staff, gardeners, rangers, operational teams, volunteers, Friends Groups and community organisations, who have worked tirelessly to improve and maintain the city’s green spaces for residents and visitors.
Cllr Sam Lux, Executive Member for Climate, Energy and Nature, Nottingham City Council, said:
“This is an incredibly proud moment for Nottingham. There was a time when we held more Green Flags than almost any other local authority, but budget pressures meant we had to step back. To now be celebrating 10 Green Flag Awards and five Green Heritage Awards shows just how far we’ve come.
“These awards belong to everyone who cares for our parks – our operational teams, gardeners, rangers, volunteers, Friends Groups and community partners. Their passion, pride and dedication shine through in every flower bed, play area, pathway and community event.
“Our parks are at the heart of Nottingham’s communities. They support mental and physical health, reduce the impacts of climate change, such as damage from flooding and heatwaves, and boost biodiversity.
“We are delighted that their quality has once again been recognised on a national stage.”
One of the standout successes this year was The Green Heart, which received exceptional praise from Green Flag judges.
In their assessment, judges described the site as:
“A most impressive green space to visit and one that embraces the key factors that Green Flag stands for. The garden will continue to evolve and, with the aid of a dedicated and enthusiastic contract team and passionate officers from the City Council, has the potential to be used as a template of good practice not only within Nottingham but wider afield.”
Judges added:
“Thank you for a rewarding judging experience. The garden is a most impressive addition to your Green Flag portfolio.”
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under contract from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for green space management across the United Kingdom and around the world.
Paul Todd MBE, Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, said:
“Parks are essential public spaces that support our wellbeing, our communities and our economy. Yet, for millions of people, particularly in the most deprived areas, local parks simply don’t feel safe or welcoming.
“With public services under pressure, investing in parks is not a luxury; it’s a practical, preventative solution and one of the most visible ways to improve people’s quality of life.
“Nottingham City Council and its partners have shown what can be achieved when parks are properly supported and managed. As we celebrate 30 years of the Green Flag Award, we want every community to have access to green spaces that are safe, welcoming and maintained to a high standard.
“Congratulations to everyone involved.”
The awards also demonstrate Nottingham’s ongoing commitment to achieving Green Flag standards across more of the city’s parks and green spaces.
Through a four-year improvement programme, Nottingham City Council is investing in the quality, accessibility and sustainability of its parks, with the ambition of significantly increasing the number of Green Flag-standard sites across the city by 2029.
The awards represent not only national recognition for Nottingham’s parks but also an important step towards the city’s ambition of restoring and expanding its Green Flag portfolio in the years ahead.
