Green Flag Parks
In 2012 Solihull was awarded 3 new Green Flags for our Parks in addition to the existing 7. Awarded by Keep Britain Tidy, the flags are seen as the gold standard for public spaces that are welcoming, safe and well maintained. It is also seen as a way of encouraging others to achieve high environmental standards, setting a benchmark of excellence in recreational green areas.
The parks are judged against 8 criteria which cover everything from access through to sustainability and marketing. The Judging takes place annually during April and May with the results announced in July. The award winning sites in Solihull are:
Tudor Grange Park:- New For 2012
Tudor Grange Park is centrally located in the town of Solihull with easy access from the town’s shopping centre, train station and local schools and colleges.
Refurbishment of the park and the development of the new nearby Tudor Grange LeisureCentre took place in 2008 with funding received by the Council. The park includes a Cycle Track facility, skate park, well equiped play area and golf course. Well used throughout the year the park is Solihull's premier events park within the South of the Borough and hosts the annual carnival, fireworks display and a number of large cycling events. See Tudor Grange Park page.
Babbs Mill Park & Local Nature Reserve: - New For 2012
Babbs Mill Park is located in one of the most highly populated areas of the West Midlands and is very important space which allows people to interact with wildlife and the environment. It is a significant green space for nature conservation and wildlife in North Solihull, an area currently undergoing Regeneration, with a high community value due to a good range of family orientated facilities. Babbs Mill Park was created to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 1977. The park has a variety of landscapes and habitats including a meandering section of the River Cole, a 5 hectare lake, grasslands harbouring wildflowers, and trees and woodland providing homes for bats and owls. See Babbs Mill Park page.
Hillfield Park & Local Nature Reserve: - New For 2012
Hillfield Park is a very important community facility being a tranquil and hidden open space within a large residential area. A mixture of lake, brook, woodland, scrub and grassland it is an ideal spot for a picnic, dog walking and there are a wide range of activities and events taking place in the Park throughout the year. The play area was refurbished in 2010 and provides an excellent facility with a wide range of play equipment for younger and older children. See Hillfield Park page.
Malvern & Brueton Park
This park provides many social and recreational facilities for the visiting public, including a children's play area, tennis courts, nature conservation area, formal flower bed displays, a sensory garden, ornamental lake and rose garden. The Park annually hosts a number of major events and activities such as Shakespeare in the Park, Carols in the Park, a Halloween event and Solihull's Gardener's Weekend. Malvern Park is the more formal park where visitors can walk along the avenue of tulip trees and admire the historic bronze statue of the Horse and Trainer. Brueton Park offers informal recreation, nature walks and a lake which is home to lots of wildlife. The Warwickshire Wildlife Trust has worked with the Council to build an educational visitor centre, which includes a café. The Parkridge centre runs many events for children and adults and promotes the Park, its heritage and wildlife. See the Malvern & Brueton Park page.
Knowle Park
This park is situated 5 miles south of Solihull in the Village of Knowle. It is a 5 minute walk from the busy village centre, shops and schools. The Park is very well used by local residents who take advantage of a range of facilities including children’s play area, outdoor gym equipment, tennis courts and informal 5-a-side football area. Part of the Park has Local Nature Reserve status including areas of woodland, wildflower meadow and a pond that is home to mallards and moorhens. There are also formal landscape features in the Park with plenty of seating to enjoy the open space. Knowle Park hosts many events throughout the year including an annual music concert and fun festival, which each attract over 2,500 visitors. The Council is supported and encouraged in the management and enhancement of the Park by members of the Friends of Knowle Park who have successfully organised the annual festival since 2005 in partnership with the Council, Knowle Football Club and local community. See the Jobs Close Park page.
Elmdon Park
Unique in Solihull for its steeply rising ground offering views across the entire West Midlands conurbation and has a countryside feel to it. This historic park is the former estate of the Spooner family. As well as recreational and play facilities, nature conservation and wildlife are important in the Park, which includes a Local Nature Reserve, lake and Brook. Recent works to the lake have improved water quality, provided interpretation and created nesting sites for wildlife. Habitat diversity has been increased by the creation of a wildflower meadow covering over 20 hectares, and Elmdon Park Wood is designated a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. The Park is a venue for a number of events including the successful Easter Egg Hunt, which attracts over 700 children annually. The Council is actively supported by park action group, recently formed with the help of the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. See the Elmdon Nature Park page.
Shirley Park
Located to the side of the A34 Stratford Road as it runs through Shirley town centre towards Birmingham, the Park consists mainly of large grassy expanses, divided by hedgerow, footpaths and mature trees. The Park has a mixture of formal areas including ornamental gardens, and sports areas for football, rugby, tennis, putting and bowls. For children and young people there are excellent play facilities that have been recently modernised with the addition of a multi-use games court and skatepark. The Park was converted from farmland in the 1920s and initially designed as a recreation ground for children's activities. However, in more recent times, the Council has attempted to extend provision for family use. Today the different uses of the Park co-exist well and good landscaping has maintained the charm of the Park whilst creating informal boundaries between the different areas. The Park is a great community venue for a host of events including summer fun days, a Donkey Derby, cinema in the park and even the Christmas lights switch on, attracting over 2,500 people. See the Shirley Park page.
Lavender Hall Park
Situated approximately 6 miles south east of Solihull in the centre of Balsall Common Village, the quiet Park with Local Nature Reserve Status is only a short walk from Balsall Common's bustling high street. The Park is very well used by local residents who take advantage of a range of facilities including a children's play area, skate park and football pitches. An important landscape feature is Katherine's Wood and there is a comprehensive footpath network with numerous benches for watching the abundant wildlife or simply resting. There are also a host of events that take place throughout the year in the Park including an annual kite flying festival for the whole family and nature walks. The Council is actively supported by the park support group recently formed with the help of the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. See the Lavender Hall Park page.
Dorridge Park
Only 10 minutes walk from the busy village centre of Dorridge with its shops and railway station, the park is bordered by residential areas and open countryside. The Park is very well used by local residents who take advantage of the range of facilities including a recently upgraded children's play area with natural play features combined with challenging and innovative play equipment, walking trails and a Dorridge Wood Local Nature Reserve. The Park hosts many annual events including Dorridge Day, wildlife walks, conservation days and star gazing. The Council is actively supported and encouraged in the management of the Park by members of the Friends of Dorridge Park and the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. Other local community groups using the Park include Forest Schools, Scouts, Packington Agility Dog Club and Solihull's Striders and Strollers. See the Dorridge Park page.
Meriden Park – new for 2010
Meriden Park is part of Kingfisher Country Park, lying in the Cole Valley in North Solihull. The Park is centrally located in the town of Chelmsley Wood, an area currently undergoing major Regeneration. There is easy access from the town’s shopping and residential areas to the Park which, with excellent sport and play facilities, is the destination park for North Solihull. The Park has a high community value with an excellent range of family orientated facilities including the Borough’s first adventure playground staffed by a team of Play Rangers. For the less energetic the lake and wood areas are good for walks and the River Cole is a haven for wildlife. The Park hosts many annual events including a carnival organised by the local community, children’s fun festivals and community volunteer days. The Council is actively supported and encouraged in the management of the Park by members of the Friends of Kingfisher Country Park and the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. See the Meriden Park page.
