Eight Liverpool parks fly the Green Flag

Liverpool has celebrated a significant achievement with eight of its parks and green areas receiving prestigious Green Flag awards, marking them as some of the best in the country. This year’s success represents more than triple the number of awarded sites compared to the previous year. Notably, Sefton Park has maintained its Green Flag status for an impressive 19 consecutive years, while Springfield Park secured this recognition for the first time.

The Green Flag honours extend across several venues: six of the parks are managed by Liverpool City Council, Chavasse Park is overseen by Liverpool ONE, and the Friends of Norris Green Park achieved a Green Flag Community Award for their work on the Community Hub Wildlife and Formal Gardens in Norris Green Park. This boost in awards underlines Liverpool’s sustained efforts to provide excellent green spaces for both local residents and visitors alike.

Among the recipients, Everton Nature Garden stands out, having renewed its award for the first time since 2008. Judges praised the garden enthusiastically, commenting, “having not had a Green Flag for a number of years, this is clearly a strong entry for Everton Park Nature Garden into the awards scheme and the effort and dedication from the whole team was evident.” They further emphasized the importance of such spaces, stating: “It feels more important than ever that parks and greenspaces such as Everton Park Nature Garden provide a green and nature rich escape from the urban environment, where the focus is on the community, health and education.”

The Green Flag Awards, administered by Keep Britain Tidy, acknowledge parks and green spaces that meet rigorous standards of environmental management and provide safe, welcoming environments. This year’s awards were granted following comprehensive assessments covering aspects like cleanliness, flower bed maintenance, litter control, and overall park condition. Supporting this ongoing commitment, Liverpool City Council has secured a £4.2 million capital programme focused on upgrading park infrastructure, including the replacement of 33 play areas and the installation of new signage, bins, and benches. Additional staffing has also been introduced to maintain parks, trees, and lakes across the city.

Chavasse Park, managed by Liverpool ONE, has also maintained its Green Flag status for 14 years and continues its recognition as a Green Heritage Site for the third consecutive year—an accolade that highlights its exceptional integration of heritage and green space. Green Flag judges applauded Liverpool ONE’s “innovative and inclusive” approach to engaging visitors with the natural and historical significance of the site. Features such as the Nature and Heritage Trails offer free self-guided tours that connect visitors to Liverpool’s maritime history and the park’s scenic landscape. The water features, including the Liver Pools near the Liverpool ONE sign, were noted for reflecting the city’s maritime roots, and the preservation of the Old Dock was recognized as a valuable example of historic integration supported by National Museums Liverpool.

Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetscene, remarked: “This year’s Green Flags awards is a major achievement for Liverpool and a clear sign of the quality of our parks and green spaces. These awards are recognition of the dedication of our parks teams and local communities, who work tirelessly to ensure our green spaces are clean, safe and welcoming places for everyone. Whether it’s enjoying nature, spending time with family and friends or improving health and wellbeing, our parks play a vital role for our residents. Having seven parks recognised internationally shows Liverpool is continuing to raise the standard and invest in spaces that make a real difference to our communities.”

Brendan Hattam, Centre Director at Liverpool ONE, expressed pride in Chavasse Park’s continued accolades: “We’re proud that Chavasse Park has once again been recognised with the Green Flag Award, alongside retaining its Green Heritage Site Accreditation. These achievements reflect the passion, care and attention to detail that goes into creating and maintaining a high-quality green space for our visitors and the wider community to enjoy. We also celebrate the other Green Flags awarded across the region, as they demonstrate the regional commitment to creating welcoming green spaces where nature, heritage and visitor experience come together.”

Adding to this, Paul Todd MBE, Green Flag Award Manager at Keep Britain Tidy, highlighted the wider importance of parks: “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. Liverpool City Council and Liverpool ONE 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 like this that are safe, welcoming and maintained to a high standard. Congratulations to everyone involved.”

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