Town Hall celebrates 33 Green Flag awards – the joint best haul in London

Mayor Caroline Woodley (centre) with the Hackney parks team. Photograph: Hackney Council

Hackney mayor Caroline Woodley has said she is “so proud” after the borough was given 33 Green Flag awards – the joint highest number in London.

The Green Flag, handed out by charity Keep Britain Tidy, has become an international benchmark for well-managed, accessible, and biodiverse public spaces.

Hackney’s haul also puts it joint second in the UK, behind only the Canal & River Trust.

This year saw the borough add two more Green Flags to the 31 it achieved in 2024: Fairchild’s Garden in Shoreditch and Daubeney Fields in Kings Park.

These parks have received significant council investment for much-needed improvements, including the recent installation of an outdoor gym, new pathways and better entrances at Daubeney Fields.

The Tree Musketeers, a volunteer tree preservation group, secured another Green Flag Community Award for their work in looking after the community tree nursery on Hackney Marshes.

Caroline Woodley, Mayor of Hackney, said: “In a densely built borough like Hackney, our parks and green spaces offer a vital opportunity to connect with nature, find space to rest and play, and bring huge benefits to health and wellbeing.

“I’m so proud that 33 of our green spaces have been recognised as among the best in the country, already surpassing our ambitious goal of achieving 32 Green Flag Awards by 2026.

“This is a testament to the dedication of our parks team, and the support of a network of incredible volunteers and committed user groups who work rain or shine to keep these spaces thriving, welcoming and biodiverse for everyone to enjoy.”

The Town Hall said it was committed to maintaining the high standards of its parks and green spaces. This year, new upgrades are planned for three play areas in for Clissold Park, London Fields, and Millfields Park.

The basketball courts and games area in Hackney Downs is set for refurbishment, and the artificial turf pitch in Haggerston Park is expected to be resurfaced.

The council has also started work on a redevelopment of the West Reservoir, including the creation of a new public green space – though the plans have sparked pushback from swimmers.

Any green space that is freely accessible to the public is eligible to enter for a Green Flag Award, which are handed out annually.

Keep Britain Tidy this year gave out 2,250 awards, and chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said: “Through the Green Flag Award and our campaigning as a charity, we will continue to advocate for good quality green infrastructure that maximises benefits for people and nature, whether that’s through exercise and wellbeing, or playing a part in helping us mitigate and adapt to some of the effects of our changing climate.

“The Green Flag Award sets the standard for caring for these sites amid growing recognition that our green spaces can be part of the climate solution. We know that the plants and trees in parks help to mitigate the harmful carbon emissions that are driving climate change. They act as cooling havens as we face hotter, drier summers and play an important part in climate change adaptation and mitigation, including helping to reduce incidences of flooding.”