13/08/2026
12TH GREEN FLAG FOR MEMORIAL PARK
Last month a ceremony took place in Memorial Park for the installation of a green flag, marking the 12th consecutive year the park has met the strict criteria.
This special award, managed by the Keep Britain Tidy group, is given out in recognition of the achievement of the highest standards in eight main categories, which include whether the area provides a welcoming accessible and well-signed space, is clean and well maintained, demonstrates environmentally friendly policies and practices which encourage biodiversity, involves the local community, and demonstrates how well the park’s management communicates with residents.
The park is managed by High Peak Borough Council, Whaley Bridge Town Council and the Friends of Memorial Park volunteer group. At the centre of activities is HPBC employee Park Ranger, Joe Middleton, who took over maintenance duties two years ago.
During this year's inspection, the assessor was particularly impressed with the nature conservation areas and the forest school which provides wildlife education for children. Speaking to the Chronicle at the ceremony, Joe Middleton said that his main aim has been to help the park realise its potential. Building biodiversity has been a high priority, so, working together with the volunteers from the Friends of the Park group, Joe has introduced several carefully managed rewilded areas. He explained that these aren't just spots where he has “let the grass grow”; each area has a clear management plan in which plants that support pollinators have been deliberately introduced, whilst invasive species like Himalayan Balsam have been actively removed with regular ‘balsam-bashing’ sessions in order to help wildlife-supporting native species become better established. Joe says that the results have been noticeable, with an increasingly broad range of insects and birds being observed at the park, and in far greater numbers than before, with butterflies, dragonflies and bats in particular taking up residence.
Progress has also been made in making the park and its surrounding areas more accessible, with the recent installation of low level planters at the allotments at the Goyt Road end of the park.
When the works to Toddbrook reservoir are complete, the children's playground, close to the Reservoir Road end of the park, will be restored, with brand new equipment installed. The adjacent spillway, which has been decommissioned and replaced by a new channel weir, tumble bay and stilling basin, has already been grassed over, creating a lush green backdrop for the park.
Joe and the Friends group volunteers have worked hard to achieve this accolade, and it's therefore been especially frustrating to encounter some setbacks and challenges, in particular the recent vandalisation of the skatepark area, in which bins were set on fire, resulting in repair work having to be undertaken and additional financial costs being incurred.
The flag installation ceremony was attended by HPBC staff, councillors from High Peak Borough Council and Whaley Bridge Town Council, and High Peak MP Jon Pearce, as well as some of the volunteers who work all year round to assist Joe in making the park a special place to visit.
If you’d like to help keep this valuable community asset vibrant, please consider contacting the Friends of Memorial Park group to see how you can get involved.
