Green Flag Awards

Ranging from parks to cemeteries, to countryside sites and crematoria, the awards reflect the high standards of maintenance needed to keep the sites looking good and also the involvement of local communities.

The 2020 assessment of our parks, crematoria and cemeteries resulted in 12 of our sites being awarded green flags:

Parks

• Blackhill and Consett Park
• Hardwick Park
• Chester-le-Street Riverside Park
• Bishop Auckland town recreation ground
• Wharton Park
• Annfield Plain Park

Cemeteries

• Castleside Cemetery, Consett 
• Moorside Cemetery, Consett 
• Ropery Lane Cemetery, Chester-le-Street 
• Sacriston Cemetery, Sacriston
• South Road Cemetery and Crematorium, Durham
• Mountsett Crematorium

History

The Green Flag award was launched in 1996 to recognise and reward the best green spaces in the country. The first awards were given in 1997 and many years later it continues to provide the benchmark against which our parks and green spaces are measured. 

Judges look at criteria such as maintenance, conservation and community involvement as well as open spaces being welcoming, healthy, safe and secure.