Chelmsford parks retain 17 Green Flag Awards

For the fourth year in a row, 17 parks across the Chelmsford district have been awarded prestigious Green Flag status - a mark of excellence that recognises well-managed parks and green spaces. 

The awards are presented by Keep Britain Tidy and celebrate green spaces that meet the highest standards in environmental management, biodiversity, safety, cleanliness, and visitor facilities.

The award-winning parks include Central Park, Compass Gardens, Galleywood Common and Oaklands Park, with Chelmsford boasting some of the highest numbers of Green Flag status parks in the East of England.

Appreciating parks and green spaces

The Green Flag Awards are an international quality accreditation and assurance that parks or green spaces are being managed and maintained to high standards. This year, 2,250 parks across the UK achieved Green Flag status.

For local communities, these spaces are vital. Parks and green spaces play a key role in supporting biodiversity and help mitigate climate change by offering green lungs within urban areas. Spending time outdoors also supports our physical and mental health and encourages active lifestyles. 

The Chelmsford district has a diverse range of parks and green spaces from formal gardens to local nature reserves

The council and local volunteers work tirelessly year-round to keep parks clean, safe and welcoming places, making this recognition especially meaningful.

Councillor Rose Moore, Cabinet Member for a Greener Chelmsford, said:

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“The Green Flag accreditation and Awards are a huge testament to the dedication and care of our parks team and volunteers. Maintaining such high standards and retaining seventeen awards is a huge achievement and reflects the ongoing work behind the scenes, from caring for flower beds and sensitively managing wildlife habitats, to ensuring playgrounds and pathways are safe and accessible. We’re incredibly proud of our parks and green spaces in Chelmsford and the positive impact they have on the lives of local residents.”

Cllr Rose Moore, Cabinet Member for a Greener Chelmsford

Helping green spaces to thrive

Throughout the year there’s been lots of activity in Chelmsford’s parks and green spaces which highlight the council’s commitment to providing welcoming, well-maintained and sustainable spaces for everyone to enjoy.

Our Place, a new social seating area designed by local students, opened in Central Park in the spring. Our Place was created in collaboration with a group of female and gender diverse students as part of the council’s award-winning project with Make Space for Girls and Social Place which works to create more gender diverse provisions in our green spaces. The project is now working on spaces in Angel Meadow and Compass Gardens. 

Tree planting continued at pace with 16,846 native whips and approximately 190 mature trees planted in the Chelmsford district during the 2024/25 winter planting season. The ongoing greening programme aims to significantly increase the amount of woodland and proportion of tree cover in Chelmsford.

The parks team also got busy creating five-star habitats with several new bug hotels installed in Central Park and Tower Gardens. Bug hotels are a great way to support biodiversity, by providing a home for a range of insects including woodlice, ladybirds, caterpillars and butterflies.

A number of successful projects have helped our parks and green spaces flourish this year. Click on the images for more details.

Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, Paul Todd MBE, said: 

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“Congratulations to everyone involved at Chelmsford City Council who have worked tirelessly to ensure that it achieves the high standards required for the Green Flag Awards.
Quality parks and green spaces make the country a heathier place to live and work in, and a stronger place in which to invest.”

Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, Paul Todd MBE

Visit Chelmsford’s parks this summer

There are things to enjoy all year round in Chelmsford’s Green Flag parks and they’re a great place to explore this summer.

Why not look out for Harry the Otter’s QR code when walking the nature trail at Chelmer Valley Local Nature Reserve, be inspired by Wimbledon at the refurbished tennis courts at Lionmede Park and Oaklands Park, have fun at the updated play areas in Chelmer Park and Baddow Hall Park or enjoy cycle routes through Central Park and Admirals Park? There’s something for everyone!

When enjoying the award-winning parks, please be mindful that the particularly hot and dry weather this year means we need to take extra care. Help prevent wildfires in green spaces by never discarding cigarettes on the ground and remember BBQs are not permitted in Chelmsford’s parks and green spaces. 

Visit the Love Your Chelmsford website to see a list of all Chelmsford City Council’s green spaces, as well as the recreational facilities that can be found in each location.