Hull City Council is celebrating Green Flag Awards for Pearson Park, which has been successful in attaining the award for the first time, and for East Park, which has retained the award for a further year.
The Green Flag Award recognises the international quality mark for parks and green spaces. The scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces – setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.
Councillor Rosie Nicola, portfolio holder for environmental services, said: “Both of the parks are iconic to Hull and play a key part in the city’s history, so it’s fantastic to see them recognised as the attributes that they are – especially as safe places of respite during lockdowns.
“We are incredibly proud of the hard-working staff that have contributed to winning the award.”
Hull’s parks join the list of top green spaces, which includes listings as diverse as the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, Woodhouse Park in Peterlee and Chiswick Old Cemetery in London.
The renovated Pearson Park archway.
Councillor John Fareham, chair of Pearson Park Trust, said: “It’s been great to see the resurgence of the popularity of our parks – they are a space for everyone to enjoy and appreciate.
“In summer 2017, we were awarded a £3m Heritage Lottery Fund grant for the restoration of Pearson Park which has seen a selection of the park’s stunning Victorian features and significant assets refurbished.
“Since the completion of its restoration, it’s been an incredible three years seeing some of the beautiful features of Pearson Park reinstated and I hope that Zachariah Pearson’s family are proud of the work that has been delivered to bring the park back to life.”
Paul Todd, Green Flag Award scheme manager, said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making the park worthy of a Green Flag Award.
“To meet the requirements demanded by the scheme is testament to the hard work of the staff and volunteers who do so much to ensure that both parks have high standards of horticulture, safety and environmental management and is a place that supports people to live healthy lives.”
In celebration of this year’s announcement, Green Flag Award has asked buildings and monuments around the UK to #GoGreenForParks today to show appreciation for the spaces that mean so much to people.
