Westminster has London's most Green Flags » Environment » 24dash.com

Westminster has scooped more coveted Green Flag awards in the capital than any other local authority, despite being one of the busiest and densely populated areas of the UK.

Among its 14 Green Flag sites, awarded by the Civic Trust for outstanding open spaces, is one of the smallest in the country, a tiny churchyard in the heart of bustling Soho and a 19th century graveyard used as a burial site for prostitutes and paupers.

Only the City of London matches Westminster's tally of awards, but mainly for green spaces miles out of the capital.

Councillor Audrey Lewis Cabinet Member for Customers and Neighbourhoods, said: "This is an incredible achievement for Westminster, and reflects the hard work put in to making use of the limited open space available in one of the most populated boroughs in London.

"Despite the pressures of space in Westminster, and the demands placed on our services by the influx of a million visitors a day, our open spaces provide rare and unique oases in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city."

The prestigious flags, which are only awarded to parks and open spaces considered outstanding by the Civic Trust, have been bestowed on a diverse range of sites, from small parks to cemeteries.

St Anne’s Church Yard in Soho is home to a futuristic toilet pod which also doubles as an art gallery - probably the only 'loo-vre' in the world. It was designed for local children, community groups and disabled users who can find it difficult to locate a suitable loo in Soho.

The loo, which is the height of a small bungalow, displays photos from artists and is a main attraction of the space which is in the heart of the West End.

St John’s Gardens is another of Westminster’s prize attractions. Bathed in history, the cemetery was once a popular burial ground for the poor folk in London, particular prostitutes and beggars, and to this day the ground is a few feet higher than the surrounding area due to its popularity as a final resting place.

Paddington Recreation Ground, Westminster City Council's largest area of park land, is used by a million people a year, and boasts state of the art astro turf football pitches following a multi-million pound redevelopment programme. The ground is also recognised as an official site of local importance for nature conservation.

Westminster's unique location in the heart of London makes the task of maintaining green spaces particularly difficult. It is home to around 240,000 residents, more than 30,000 businesses and major tourist attractions such as the Palace of Westminster, a UNESCO world heritage site.

Westminster boasts more Green Flag awards than the London borough's of Camden, Ealing, Greenwich, Harrow, Lambeth and Newham combined.

Even not taking into account the five Green Flag for Royal Parks within its boundaries, only the City of London matches this achievement. Nationally only Manchester, which has an impressive 27 sites, has more outstanding green spaces within its boundaries.

Emboldened by its recent achievements, Westminster City Council aims to increase the number of Green Flag awards won in the borough next year by a further five through more improvements and innovative ideas to make use of the open green space hidden in London.

Head of Parks, Sport and Leisure Services at Westminster City Council, David Kerrigan, said: "As a congested inner city area I feel it is even more important for our residents and visitors to be able to escape and enjoy a sense of peace and tranquillity in our precious open spaces.

"By providing high quality places to escape all over the city I feel we are helping to make life better for everybody, and I'm proud of all the work my department has carried out."

In the last five years Westminster has trebled its green flag sites, the full list of which is below.