Port Sunlight’s green spaces crowned as one of Britain’s best, with another Green Flag Award

Port Sunlight Village Trust is celebrating after receiving a Green Flag Award in recognition of the village’s well-kept parks and gardens we look after.

Receiving the award for the seventh consecutive year, Port Sunlight keeps its place on the coveted list of parks and green spaces recognised as the best in the United Kingdom.

The village has also achieved the Green Heritage Site Accreditation, supported by Historic England, for the management of its historic features.

Port Sunlight is known for being built by William Lever to provide housing for ‘Sunlight Soap’ factory workers in 1888. It is arguably the finest surviving example of early urban planning in the UK, and has remained largely intact since its foundation. Its Arts and Crafts-style houses and picturesque parks and gardens make the village a popular place to live and visit.

Today, Port Sunlight Village Trust is an independent charity responsible for preserving the village, which includes employing a team of gardeners to look after all of its public green spaces as well as the front gardens of around 900 properties.

Liam English, Landscape Manager at Port Sunlight Village Trust, said: “To be recognised once again by the Green Flag Award Scheme is a real honour for our gardeners, who take immense pride in the work we do to look after the village’s green spaces. A simple ‘thank you’ from a resident or visitor always brightens up our day, so to receive this award is really special to us.

“From planting over 50,000 bedding flowers each year and cutting 21.5 miles of grass edges to caring for over 4,000 roses, looking after Port Sunlight’s green spaces is a big yet extremely rewarding job.”

Paul Harris, Port Sunlight Village Trust’s Chief Executive, said: “The news that Port Sunlight has achieved the accreditation – the international quality mark for parks and green spaces – is testament to the dedication of our Landscape team that care for the village’s parks and gardens for everyone to enjoy. I would like to thank them for their hard work, as well as the local community for their continued support.”