The City of London Corporation has won Green Flag status at 15 of its open spaces.
The prestigious scheme recognises parks and other green spaces as some of the very best managed sites in the world.
The international award, run by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, and overseen by a panel of expert judges, is now into its third decade.
The City Corporation is a major green spaces provider in London and south east England.
It protects over 11,000 acres of open space in London and south east England – including Burnham Beeches, Epping Forest, and Hampstead Heath – and over 200 smaller ones in the Square Mile, investing over £38m a year.
They remove an estimated 16,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere every year, equivalent to 44% of the City Corporation’s annual carbon footprint.
These sites, most of which are charitable trusts, are run at little or no cost to the communities that they serve.
They include important wildlife habitats, Special Areas of Conservation, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and National Nature Reserves. They are protected from being built on by special legislation.
The winners are:
Ashtead Common
Bunhill Fields
Burnham Beeches
City of London Cemetery and Crematorium
Coulsdon Common
Epping Forest
Farthing Downs & New Hill
Hampstead Heath
Highgate Wood
Kenley Common
Queen’s Park
Riddlesdown
Spring Park
West Ham Park
West Wickham Common
14 City Corporation sites also claimed the Green Heritage accreditation in recognition of their historic features and the high standard of conservation.
Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Epping Forest and Commons Committee, Ben Murphy, said:
“The Green Flag accreditation is issued to sites which meet the needs of local communities and the highest possible standards of management.
“It is testament to the continued hard work and skills of our loyal team of staff and volunteers that they have been awarded this flag again.
“These sites are critical to the health and wellbeing of countless visitors, and a large part of their appeal is the way the natural environment is maintained.
“Congratulations to all of the team for their success after a very difficult year”.
