Two Newcastle parks have won back their Green Flag status, a year after losing the prestigious award.
Both Leazes Park and Walker Park have reclaimed the well-known quality mark for green spaces.
There had been an outcry 12 months ago when the two locations failed to retain the award, amid concerns about anti-social behaviour and arson in Walker and a row over damage caused to the 150-year-old Leazes Park by using it to stage music festivals.
Since then, parks management charity Urban Green Newcastle (UGN) has been put into liquidation and control of the city’s parks has returned to Newcastle City Council.
Added to the Green Flag awards retained by Exhibition Park and Jesmond Dene, it means there are once again four parks in Newcastle that hold the status handed out by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.
Judges said that there had been “huge improvements” in order to “return Leazes Park to a very attractive, well-managed green space much enjoyed by a great number of visitors”.
The Victorian park was not even entered for the 2024 awards, while locals had complained of the historic attraction being “damaged beyond repair” under UGN’s rule.
Alex Hay, the Labour-run council’s deputy leader, said: “Newcastle boasts some of the most beautiful green spaces in the country, and we are very proud to have increased the number of Green Flag parks in the city. This is a fantastic achievement by our dedicated teams, working closely with local communities. Our thanks go to all the volunteers and friends of groups who give their time to support these spaces, as well as the businesses and members of the public who use them and help to care for them.
“Urban Green Newcastle achieved a great deal during its five years, and the progress we’ve made since March shows we are building on that strong foundation. The news that four of our parks have met the high standards required for Green Flag accreditation is a credit to the hard work and commitment of the teams who maintain them, making sure they remain enjoyable for both residents and visitors.
“I want to thank everyone who has played a part, however big or small, in making sure these parks are recognised as among the best in the world.”
Blakelaw councillor Marion Williams, of the Friends of Leazes Park, said the community had “worked hard” alongside the city council to win back the Green Flag through measures such as litter picks, while there are plans to plant a new orchard.
Coun Williams warned that it would “take time” to make major repairs, but there was now a “working relationship” between friends groups and parks chiefs without the “antagonism” that emerged when UGN was in charge.
The Green Flag judges also said that “great strides have been made” to improve Walker Park in the past 12 months.
Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd MBE said: “Congratulations to everyone involved in these award winning parks who have worked tirelessly to ensure that they achieve the high standards required for the Green Flag Awards.
“Quality parks and green spaces like Jesmond Dene, Leazes, Walker and Exhibition parks make the country a healthier place to live and work in, and a stronger place in which to invest.
“Crucially, these green flag awarded parks are vital green space for communities in Newcastle to enjoy nature, and during the ongoing cost of living crisis it is a free and safe space for families to socialise. It also provides important opportunities for local people and visitors to reap the physical and mental health benefits of green space.”
