Hothampton Sunken Gardens earns first Green Flag Award

Hothampton Sunken Gardens in Bognor Regis has been awarded a Green Flag for the first time, placing the small town‑centre garden among 99 parks and green spaces in the Southeast recognised for meeting nationally approved standards of maintenance, safety and visitor experience.

The sunken gardens were opened three years ago and have been described as “the perfect spot to unwind.”

The announcement comes alongside new research from Keep Britain Tidy highlighting stark inequalities in access to safe, well‑maintained green spaces.

A YouGov survey of more than 2,000 UK adults found that only 27% of people living in the most deprived areas consider their local park to be safe, compared with 46% in the least deprived areas.

Paul Todd MBE, Green Flag Award Manager at Keep Britain Tidy, said the findings underline the importance of investment in public green spaces. “Today’s Green Flag Award winners show 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 that are safe, welcoming and maintained to the highest standards.

“In an age of rising concern about community cohesion, young people’s wellbeing and time spent online, safe local parks are becoming more important than ever. Yet the communities who need them the most are sadly the least likely to have them. 

“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 councils can improve people’s quality of life.  

“Every pound invested in a park, particularly in a deprived community, delivers real returns - improving wellbeing, bringing communities together, reducing loneliness, giving people somewhere safe and free to spend time and, ultimately, reducing pressure on public services like the NHS.”

The Green Flag Award is the international benchmark for quality, recognising sites that meet rigorous standards for safety, accessibility, environmental management and community engagement.  

The charity has also awarded nine Green Flag Community Awards in the region, celebrating the efforts of dedicated volunteer groups, such as 'Friends of' groups, who work tirelessly to manage and enhance their local green spaces.