The council decided not to submit eleven previous Green Flag Award-winning parks for consideration this year, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Eleven of Haringey’s parks have lost their Green Flag status due to the “unprecedented financial challenges” faced by Haringey Council.

Belmont Recreation Ground, Chapmans Green, Chestnuts Park, Coldfall Wood, Down Lane Park, Fairland Park, Paignton Park, Parkland Walk, Queen’s Wood, Stationers Park and Tottenham Green were not submitted by the council to the Green Flag Award accreditation scheme this year and lost their status as a result.

The eleven parks and green spaces made up a total 22 parks submitted for the award last year but, due to budget pressures, cabinet member for culture and leisure Emily Arkell said the council had to “scale back” this process.

The prestigious Green Flag Award scheme, managed by Keep Britain Tidy, is recognised internationally as the standard for good management of parks and open spaces.

Each year judges visit thousands of parks and green spaces around the UK, submitted for consideration by councils and other management bodies, and then evaluate them to see if they meet the Green Flag criteria.

The cost to submit a green space is around £500 and with the “strain” on resources the council said this year it had to be “selective” in which parks it chose to submit.

Dave Morris, chair of Haringey Friends of Parks forum, said he understood the financial pressure the council was under but had hoped for more “collaboration”.

He said: “We all know that the council, like all councils, has been and is still being starved of adequate funding from central government for our vital local public services.

“However, it’s only by partnership with the community, and joint calls for adequate funding, that local services can be defended and standards maintained.”

Dave said he doubted whether the amount saved would be very high “in the scheme of things”.

The opposition Liberal Democrats have also “slammed” the move, referring to Haringey Labour group’s 2022 manifesto which promised to “increase the number of Green Flag parks” as well as a lack of “engagement with friend groups and local councillors”.

Alessandra Rossetti, a Liberal Democrat councillor, said Labour viewed the parks as “revenue raisers”, referring to “inappropriate events” held at Finsbury Park and proposals earlier this year to charge for public tennis court use.

Cllr Rossetti said this refuted the “claim” the council “no longer” had funds.

She said: “The Green Flag [Award] is a well understood national standard for parks in this country and the council should reverse this decision, so that residents can have confidence in the quality of our parks and the level of service and maintenance the council gives them.

“This decision and associated cuts to the park service gives a worrying picture of the standard the council thinks is acceptable.”

Cllr Arkell reiterated the financial landscape was “unprecedented” and “beyond the council’s control” and had led to scaling back, but reassured the situation would be kept under “regular review”.

She said: “The [Green Flag] application process can be time-consuming and place a strain upon our limited resources, so we had to be selective in terms of the Haringey parks we’ve put forward for consideration.

“This will be kept under regular review going forward to see if we can submit more applications in the years to come.”

She added that all the parks that were submitted did retain their Green Flag status, which kept up “our record” and thanked friend groups and partners for their support.

Cllr Arkell said: “This is a testament to our considerable level of investment as well as the sheer hard work, determination and commitment of friend groups, partners, stakeholders and council staff to ensure parks and green spaces are clean, safe and welcoming places for people to enjoy.

“I would like to reassure our park users and Haringey residents that, irrespective of their Green Flag status, all our parks are maintained to the highest standards.”

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