Two green spaces recognised as some of the country’s best parks

Itchen Valley and Lakeside Country Parks have both been awarded the coveted Green Flag Award in the Keep Britain Tidy national awards scheme.

This marks Lakeside's sixth consecutive Green Flag Award and an impressive seventeenth award for Itchen Valley Country Park!

Pictured: L-R Bonnie Horrex (Senior Countryside Ranger), Mayor of Eastleigh Cllr Richard Gomer, Mayor’s Escort Alex Price, Andy Frost (Designer and Creator of the majority of the wooden structures at IVCP)

It signals that the Country Parks have achieved an internationally recognised quality mark for parks and green spaces that are exceptionally well managed, welcoming to all, accessible, and committed to protecting and enhancing biodiversity.

Key strengths noted in the assessment include good dog facilities and volunteer management; maintenance of trees, woodland and ‘mosaic’ of habitats; and the environmental initiatives with solar panels, rainwater harvesting, biomass boilers, air source heat pump.

The Green Flag Award scheme is celebrating its thirtieth year, and the Country Parks join a record breaking 2,391 in the UK to achieve the award for 2026. It is a fantastic testament to the hard work, passion and dedication of the team who care for this green space, ensuring it is maintained to a high standard for visitors and residents to enjoy.

Mayor of Eastleigh, Cllr Richard Gomer, said: "The dedicated teams at Itchen Valley and Lakeside Country Parks should be incredibly proud to have achieved continuous Green Flag Award status. To have such high quality and welcoming green spaces in the Borough underpins the commitment we have to health and wellbeing and the environment. We extend a thank you to Keep Britain Tidy for recognising their efforts."

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under contract from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, 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.

Paul Todd MBE, Green Flag Award Manager at Keep Britain Tidy, said: “Parks are essential public spaces that support our wellbeing, our communities and our economy. Yet for millions of people, particularly in the most deprived areas, local parks simply don’t feel safe or welcoming. With public services under pressure, investing in parks is not a luxury, it’s a practical, preventative solution and one of the most visible ways to improve people’s quality of life.

“Lakeside Country Park and Itchen Valley Country Park have shown what can be achieved when parks are properly supported and managed. As we celebrate 30 years of the Green Flag Award, we want every community to have access to green spaces like this that are safe, welcoming and maintained to a high standard.

"Congratulations to everyone involved."