Green Flag flies again over Stanmer Park as volunteers and staff celebrate
Volunteers and parks staff celebrate another Green Flag award for Stanmer Park (Image: Brighton & Hove City Council)
Stanmer Park is flying the Green Flag once again, after volunteers and parks staff gathered this week to raise the country's best-known mark of a well-run green space.
Awarded by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, the Green Flag goes to the best parks across the country – those that are well maintained and offer excellent facilities. Stanmer has also earned Green Heritage Site Accreditation, which recognises how well its historic features are managed and shared with the public.
As the city's largest park, Stanmer offers a diverse mix of parkland and woodland, along with a historic church, a pond and a stunning Walled Garden run by Plumpton College. Loved by residents and visitors alike, it's a popular venue for events and an attractive gateway to the South Downs National Park.
A big park to keep beautiful
Councillor Alan Robins, Cabinet Member for Sport, Recreation and Libraries, said the council was delighted to be flying the flag for another year. He praised the effort behind it, noting that maintaining such a large and busy park takes a huge amount of expertise, and congratulated the Cityparks staff and the volunteers who work alongside them.
"We are delighted to be flying the Green Flag for another year in Stanmer Park."
Councillor Alan Robins, Cabinet Member for Sport, Recreation and Libraries
Their work to keep the standards high, he added, is much appreciated by the thousands of residents and guests who visit the park all year round.
How a park earns its flag
The annual Green Flag Award scheme recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces across the country. Judges look at a range of things when deciding who gets a flag, from safety and cleanliness to how litter, waste and trees are handled. The criteria also weigh whether local people are given the chance to get involved in looking after and improving their own green spaces.
Part of something bigger
Stanmer's flag comes in a milestone year for the scheme, which is marking its 30th anniversary. In 2026 a record number of parks and green spaces across the UK reached the standard, showing just how much the award has grown since it began.
Paul Todd MBE, Green Flag Award Manager at Keep Britain Tidy, said parks are essential public spaces that support wellbeing, communities and the local economy. With public services under pressure, he argued, investing in parks is not a luxury but a practical, preventative way to improve quality of life. He said the staff and volunteers at Stanmer had shown "what can be achieved when parks are properly supported and managed."
The scheme is managed by Keep Britain Tidy under contract from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, and sets the benchmark standard for green spaces across the UK and around the world. You can find out more through the links below.
• The Green Flag Award scheme
• Keep Britain Tidy
• Keep Britain Tidy: Great British Spring Clean