​
​
​
​
The Green Flag Award scheme represents the national standard for parks and green spaces throughout England and Wales. It is managed by the Civic Trust (Patron HRH The Prince of Wales) and provides visible recognition of the value of green spaces in communities, especially urban environments, and rewards excellent standards in park management.
Applications are assessed against eight Green Flag Award criteria:
-
Is the park a welcoming place?
-
Is it healthy, safe and secure?
-
Standard of cleanliness and maintenance
-
Is it managed in an environmentally sensitive way?
-
Have efforts been made to conserve the historical heritage?
-
Is local community involvement and participation encouraged?
-
Are efforts made to promote and "market" the park?
-
The quality of park management.
It takes two years to apply for and prepare for the Award. Priory Park failed to get the award in 2002 and Haringey Council and The Friends of Priory Park were determined that the application in 2003 would be successful. To support the application, additional funding of 30,000 pnds was put into the Park by the Council. This was used for new planting, new paths, the setting up of a parks patrol (attached to Finsbury Park) and community gardens. Priory Park was successful in 2003, and has since won the award in subsequent years. Mostly recently, in 2015, passing with flying colours.
On winning, Priory Park is eligible to fly the Green Flag for one year whereupon we have to re-apply annually to retain the award. Representatives from the Green Flag scheme turn up unannounced through the year to check that the standards which merited the award are being maintained. The Green Flag Award has now become the benchmark against which the quality of public parks and green spaces is measured throughout the country.
Our thanks go to Haringey Council for providing the necessary support in giving Priory Park the best chance of retaining the award, as it has done in every year since.