The Green Flag Award is an international accreditation awarded to publicly accessible parks and open spaces that are welcoming and accessible, well maintained and clean, and creative and innovative in their management.
Alongside maintaining the six Green Flag parks it already had, getting two more was one of Harrow Council’s 30 flagship actions as part of its plan to “restore pride” in the borough.
Green Flags are now being flown at Chandos Recreation Ground and Riverside Park, alongside those already found at Kenton Recreation Ground, Pinner Memorial Park, Headstone Manor Park, Canons Park, Harrow Recreation Ground, and Roxeth Recreation Ground.
Harrow Council described Riverside Park in Hatch End as a “hidden gem”. Located next to Harrow Arts Centre, it underwent an upgrade in 2023 and boasts a playground, woodland area and wildflowers – alongside an outdoor stage for performances.
Chandos Recreation Ground in Edgware has also gone through some major transformation, including a new wetland thanks to Action For Silk Stream – a six-year project led by Barnet and Harrow councils, which, partnering with environmental charity Thames21, aims to work with nature to reduce flood risk.
Harrow Council put the success down to the “hard work” from volunteers, park user groups and the parks team. The local authority has also put forward plans to upgrade West Harrow Recreation Ground for Green Flag status in 2026, which, if successful, would achieve its target of nine.
Cabinet member for community and culture Cllr Janet Mote said: “I am absolutely delighted that we’ve not only retained our six award winning parks, but we’ve gained two new ones. It’s come at a perfect time as we mark 60 years of Harrow. I know this will mean a lot to our residents who love using our parks.
“Alongside our £6 million investment in parks over three years, I know there has been an incredible amount of work that has taken place to deliver this flagship action. I’d like to thank our staff, park user groups and volunteers who have been key to achieving this. It’s a fantastic example of how listening, co-designing, and working together can make our parks truly special for our residents.”
Alongside parks, the £6 million investment strategy also includes improvements to amenity green spaces, nature reserves, sports fields, playgrounds, and any other open spaces that “contribute to the borough’s environment, community health, and well-being”.
Harrow has more than 1,100 hectares of green space but the council claims it is facing “several significant challenges”, such as from the pressures of urban development, increased footfall, and the impacts of climate change. The local authority suggests rising temperatures, more frequent extreme weather events, and the loss of biodiversity “threaten the integrity of these green spaces”.
The strategy outlines the overall aims of managing green spaces in a way that helps the council achieve its target to be carbon neutral by 2030, providing safe and clean places for residents to exercise and relax, and getting more people involved in the design and care of the spaces.
