ix parks across Barking and Dagenham have once again been recognised as some of the best in the country, after being named in the Keep Britain Tidy Green Flag Awards for 2021.

Barking Park, Beam Parklands, Eastbrookend Country Park, Greatfields Park, Mayesbrook Park, and St. Chad's Park joined 444 other green spaces from across the capital to be granted the prestigious award.

We’re delighted that once again the parks and green spaces in our borough have been recognised as being among the best in the country

All six parks were named in last year’s list of Green Flag Award winners.

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, recognises well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for criteria such as maintenance, safety, and community involvement.

Councillor Saima Ashraf, Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement, said: “We’re delighted that once again the parks and green spaces in our borough have been recognised as being among the best in the country.

“They provide an important space for people to get outdoors, exercise, socialise, and enjoy nature – and with parks and green spaces amounting to more than three times the size of Hyde Park, there’s plenty to explore and appreciate in Barking and Dagenham.” 

In total, 2,127 parks and green spaces across the UK were named in this year’s Green Flag Awards, which first launched in 1996. 

Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said: “As Green Flag Award celebrates 25 years of raising the standard, Keep Britain Tidy is delighted to be the custodian of a scheme that does so much to ensure our parks and green spaces go from strength to strength.”

Across Barking and Dagenham, there are 28 parks and green spaces, which provide 463 hectares of land open to the public and last year work began on creating a ‘forest of thanks’, by planting over 32,000 trees in Parsloes Park, Dagenham.

Cllr Saima Ashraf added: “Climate change has become a real hot topic, and our parks and green spaces play an important part in tackling global warming by helping absorb pollution. That’s why we are committed to being a clean and green borough, and one of the reasons why more than 6,500 trees line our borough’s streets as we try to reduce our carbon footprint.”

Visit www.barkinganddagenhamcountryparks.com for all the latest information on the borough’s big country green open spaces.