WestPark Management Plan & Green Flag Award
Green Flag Award Logo
2025 Green Flag Award winners
Westpark in Darlington, 1 of 2,250 parks and green spaces across the UK has reached the high standards required to receive a coveted Green Flag Award in 2025.
Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy today revealed the winners, with successful submissions from across the country for a range of sites including world-famous city parks and small, local green spaces.
The other Green Flag awarded in Darlington is South Park.
The Green Flag Award is the benchmark international quality classification for parks and green spaces, providing the high standards against which sites are measured, and which land managers, local authorities and volunteers pledge to achieve when applying for the award.
Parks are a vitally important part of this country’s green infrastructure, providing opportunities to improve physical and mental health even in the most built-up urban environments.
That’s why it’s important that parks are managed to the Green Flag Award standard, which accredits and recognises sites that meet the needs of the community, are well-maintained, safe and provide people with the opportunity to lead healthy lifestyles.
That’s why it’s important that parks are managed to the Green Flag Award standard, which accredits and recognises sites that meet the needs of the community, are well-maintained, safe and provide people with the opportunity to lead healthy lifestyles.
You can read this years Judges feedback here. We will discuss this and feedback from our ecology survey at our 4th September 2025 community meeting.
It all started when…
We were searching for frameworks and quality marks for great green spaces where we could show the benefit of West Park Levy funding to the community and stakeholders. We needed a document to help identify the different but complimentary roles both Darlington Borough Council, Westpark Levy Trust and the wider community play in making Westpark a great place for both resident and nature.
Both the Trust and the Council are really pleased that WestPark and South Park both hold and have maintained Green Flag Award status. Both bodies are committed to maintaining and improving the standard of WestPark.
The Trust continues to increase the transparency of it’s decision making and showing the differing roles and responsibillities of WestPark Levy Trust and Darlington Borough Council.
The Trustees are committed to listen to community feedback and encourages community involvement through the Friends of WestPark meeting and events and expand the information available to further the improvement of WestPark.
Here you are able to find the current green space management plan and a link to
Raising the Standard : The Green Flag Award guidance manual
The sections are
A welcoming Place
Welcome
Good and Safe Access
Signage
Equal Access for All
Healthy, Safe and Secure
Appropriate Provision of Quality Facilities and Activities
Safe Equipment and Facilities
Personal Security
Control of Dogs/Dog Fouling
Well Maintained and Clean
Litter and Waste Management
Horticultural Maintenance
Arboricultural Maintenance
Building and Infrastructure Maintenance
Equipment Maintenance
Environmental Management
Managing Environmental Impact
Waste Minimisation
Chemical Use
Peat Use
Climate Change Adaption Strategies
Biodiversity, Landscape and Heritage
Management of Natural Features, Wild Fauna and Flora
Conservation of Landscape Features
Conservation of Buildings and Structures
Community Involvement
Community Involvement in Management and Development
Appropriate Provision for Community
Marketing and Communication
Marketing and Promotion
Appropriate Information Channels
Appropriate Educational and Interpretational Information
Management
Implementation of Management Plan
Green Flag Award - a crucial component in ensuring the continuing quality of our parks and green spaces, making sure they are managed to the highest standards and are safe and accessible. We believe it should be a minimum standard for every park – and that everyone, wherever they live, should have access to high-quality green space.
Parks play a key role in the health and wellbeing of the nation not only in the physical and mental health of us all, but also in the environmental health of the planet.
