Regeneration news
Thames Barrier Park honoured with Green Flag award for the sixth consecutive year
Our very own Thames Barrier Park—the biggest park in the Royal Docks area, has once again been honoured with the prestigious Green Flag Award one of two parks within the Royal Docks to have the Green Flag, the other being Royal Victoria Gardens.
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.
The accolade is the park's sixth consecutive recognition for its outstanding commitment to sustainability and green space management. The achievement highlights the park's role in promoting biodiversity, providing recreational opportunities, and fostering community engagement.
Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager Paul Todd MBE said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved at Thames Barrier Park in achieving a Green Flag Award.
Thames Barrier Park a vital green space for the community in the Royal Docks, bringing people together and providing opportunities to lead healthy lifestyles. The staff and volunteers do so much to ensure that it maintains the high standards of the Green Flag Award and everyone involved should feel extremely proud of their achievement.”
A full list of Green Flag Award-winning parks and green spaces is available here.
Thames Barrier Park a vital green space for the community in the Royal Docks, bringing people together and providing opportunities to lead healthy lifestyles
Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager Paul Todd MBE
From petrol to picnics
Opened in 2000, Thames Barrier Park is a green oasis in the heart of East London. Spanning over 22 acres, the park offers a tranquil retreat where visitors can escape the city. Remarkably, the park is built on the land formerly used as a petrochemical and acid works factory.
The Green Flag Award website states about Thames Barrier Park; ‘Bridges reveal vistas across colourful, scented gardens. Extensive lawns are crossed by gravel pathways and bordered by yew and maygreen hedges. Thames Barrier Park is an outstanding example of contemporary landscaping. An oasis of calm and an ideal marriage of manmade and natural beauty.’
The park's remarkable design by renowned landscape architects Groupe Signes and Patel Taylor reflects its commitment to sustainability and a host of eco-friendly features such as wildflower meadows, swathes of tall grasses and the Thames path, scented gardens, yew and maygreen hedges, and a habitat created for birds and insects. As well as picnic and children’s play areas, a basketball court, and a visitor pavilion with views of the Thames Barrier.
Biodiversity, Conservation and community
A diverse range of plants and trees can be found throughout the park's green spaces. The park's policies promote sustainable maintenance techniques such as organic horticulture and habitat creation for local wildlife. These techniques provide a haven for birds, butterflies, and bees in particular.
The park is a case study in sustainability. Thoughtful measures such as water conservation, recycling, use of renewable energy sources, and the integration of sustainable materials in construction and maintenance are now benchmarks of environmental conscientiousness.
Thames Barrier Park is not just a place of sustainable beauty but also a hub for community engagement. The park's wide-ranging amenities cater to visitors of all ages and interests, perfect for jogging, cycling, basketball and of course relaxing.
About Keep Britain Tidy
Keep Britain Tidy is a leading environmental charity. We set the standard for the management of parks and beaches, inspire people to be litter-free, to waste less and live more sustainably. We run campaigns and programmes including the Great British Spring Clean, Eco-Schools, Love Parks, Eco-Schools, the Green Flag Award for parks and green spaces and the Blue Flag/ Seaside Awards for beaches. To find out more about Keep Britain Tidy, our campaigns and programmes visit www.keepbritaintidy.org.
