Sandwell has more Green Flag Awards than ever before – with Fallings Heath Cemetery in Wednesbury receiving the prestigious awards for the first time this year.
There are a now record-breaking 15 parks and green spaces in Sandwell included in the Green Flag Awards announced today (Tuesday 18 July).
It’s the most Green Flags that Sandwell has ever received in the annual awards since they were first awarded in 1997.
Haden Hill Park in Cradley Heath has also retained the Green Heritage Site Accreditation, supported by Historic England, for the management of its historic features.
Sandwell’s sites are among 2,216 parks and green spaces to proudly be awarded a Green Flag – the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.
Over the past year, Sandwell Council has invested more than £4million in parks, play areas, outdoor sports facilities, nature reserves and other green open spaces, supported by a mix of council and external funding.
Twelve of Sandwell’s sites are managed by Sandwell Council (sites managed by Sandwell Council unless otherwise stated).
- Barnford Park, Oldbury
- Brunswick Park Wednesbury
- Dartmouth Park, West Bromwich
- Fallings Heath Cemetery, Wednesbury
- Haden Hill Park, Cradley Heath – also a Green Heritage Site
- Lightwoods Park, Bearwood
- Lions of the Great War, Smethwick – a Green Flag Award Community Winner (managed by Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick)
- Red House Park, Great Barr
- Revolution Walk (Main Line Canal), Smethwick/Birmingham (managed by Canal & River Trust)
- Sandwell Valley Country Park, West Bromwich
- Sandwell Valley Crematorium, West Bromwich
- Tipton Cemetery
- Victoria Park, Smethwick
- Victoria Park, Tipton
- Warley Woods, Bearwood (managed by Warley Woods Community Trust)
Fallings Heath Cemetery has received the award for the first time following improvements over several years. These include investment in CCTV and improvements to the road, paths and multi-faith burial areas. The council has also introduced pollinator plants to encourage bees, installed bat and bird boxes and bug hotels to improve ecology at the site, as well creating wildflower areas and putting in recycling bins and battery and electric-powered machinery for maintenance.
Councillor Charn Singh Padda, Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, said: “Congratulations to all of Sandwell’s Green Flag Award winners this year – across our parks, green spaces, cemeteries, crematoria, canals and community spaces. This is very well-deserved recognition for all the staff, community volunteers, Friends groups and partner organisations who help make Sandwell’s green spaces the wonderful places they are. Thank you to everyone.
“We have a Green Flag park in each of our six towns and we continue to invest in our green spaces as these are vital for leisure, exercise, health and wide range of community benefits.”
Councillor Syeda Khatun, Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Communities with responsibility for bereavement services, said: “I would like to thank all our staff involved in the improvements across all our award-winning cemetery and crematoria sites helping to ensure people have a green and peaceful place to remember their loved ones.”
Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager Paul Todd MBE said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in achieving a Green Flag Award.
“These are a vital green spaces for the community in Sandwell, bringing people together and providing opportunities to lead healthy lifestyles. The staff and volunteers do so much to ensure that it maintains the high standards of the Green Flag Award and everyone involved should feel extremely proud of their achievement.”
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, 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.