A number of Preston parks have been handed a coveted Green Flag award for 2026.
Ashton Park, Avenham and Miller Parks, Fishwick Bottoms, Haslam Park and Winckley Square Gardens have been all been recognised as spaces in Preston which are kept to a high standard and therefore improve the quality of life for people living nearby.
It means that all of Preston’s parks to win in 2025 retained the accreditation this year. Moor Park, currently under renovation, last won the award in 2023 and has not regained it since.
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Winckley Square Gardens also achieved a Green Heritage Site Accrediation due to its historical features, while Friends of Haslam Park were given a Green Flag Community Award for efforts looking after the park and nature reserve.
Cllr Connor Dwyer, Cabinet Member for Parks and Community Safety at Preston City Council, said: “I’m thrilled that so many of Preston’s beautiful parks and green spaces have achieved the Green Flag Award status and would like to congratulate and thank everyone involved – our parks teams, the volunteers, and the Friends groups – who manage and maintain these spaces for everyone to enjoy.
“The Council is investing significantly in parks and open spaces across Preston, which is already realising long-term benefits for the health and wellbeing of our residents and visitors alike.”
Paul Todd, Green Flag Award Manager at Keep Britain Tidy, said: “Parks are essential public spaces that support our wellbeing, our communities and our economy. Yet for millions of people, particularly in the most deprived areas, local parks simply don’t feel safe or welcoming.
“With public services under pressure, investing in parks is not a luxury, it’s a practical, preventative solution and one of the most visible ways to improve people’s quality of life.
“Preston City Council has shown what can be achieved when parks are properly supported and managed. As we celebrate 30 years of the Green Flag Awards, we want every community to have access to green spaces like this that are safe, welcoming and maintained to a high standard.
“Congratulations to everyone involved.”
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under contract from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, 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.
