The number 13 may be considered as unlucky, but not in Rochdale borough as green spaces triumph again in Green Flag Awards.
12 parks across the borough have retained Green Flag status, with Stoney Hill Community Wildlife Area earning a community award, bringing the total to 13 recognised award-winning green spaces.
Queen's Park, Heywood.
Heywood retains flags for the popular Queen’s Park and Hopwood Park, and in Middleton you can find the perfect quartet at Middleton Memorial Gardens, Middleton Cemetery, Jubilee Park and Truffet Park.
Denehurst Park, Rochdale.
In Rochdale, visitors can access award winning green spaces at Denehurst Park, Balderstone Park and several parks judged as one in the town centre - Broadfield Park, Rochdale Memorial Gardens, and St Chad’s Gardens. Springfield Park maintained its Green Flag status following its initial submission to the awards in 2024.
Hare Hill Park, Littleborough.
Milnrow Memorial Park and Hare Hill Park in Littleborough also retained top status in the Pennines.
This year, Spotland Tenants and Residents Association submitted Stoney Hill Community Wildlife Area and received the first Green Flag Community Award for Rochdale, meeting standards in maintenance, safety, biodiversity, and community involvement.
Councillor Tricia Ayrton, deputy leader of the council, and portfolio holder for climate change and environment, said:
“We’ve done it again, which is outstanding, but achieving the international quality mark for green spaces isn’t an easy task and certainly doesn’t come down to luck. Our teams, working together with the borough’s volunteers and community groups work hard all year round to ensure our residents and visitor have access to beautiful, clean and green spaces that are cherished by people of all ages.
“These spaces provide sanctuary for many and are vital for health and wellbeing. Look out for Green Flags on your doorstep.”
Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, Paul Todd MBE, said:
“Congratulations to everyone involved in Rochdale who have worked tirelessly to ensure that it achieves the high standards required for the Green Flag Award.
“Quality parks and green spaces like these make the country a heathier place to live and work in, and a stronger place in which to invest.
“Crucially, these parks provide a vital green space for communities in Rochdale 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.”
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence 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.