Bluewater Shopping Centre in Greenhithe has received a prestigious Green Flag Award for its nature trail.

This marks the eighth year that the centre has achieved this accreditation, recognising the hard work of the team maintaining the area.

The Green Flag Award, given by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy and licensed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, is an international mark of quality for parks and green spaces.

It highlights well-managed green spaces in the UK and globally.

The nature trail is situated in the northwest corner of the shopping centre, with the nearest parking available at The Village Car Park. The trail begins on the bridge over the boating lake, directly opposite Zizzi.

Spanning 1.1 kilometers, it takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.

Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, Paul Todd MBE, said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved at Bluewater on achieving a Green Flag Award.

“Bluewater is a vital green space for communities in Kent to socialise, enjoy nature, for children to play safely and it provides important opportunities for park users to improve their physical and mental health.

“We know that staff and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that it maintains the high standards of the Green Flag Award, everyone involved should feel extremely proud of their achievement. “It is important that our free-to-use spaces are maintained to the Green Flag Award standard, making them accessible for all members of the community while ensuring the environment is protected.”

James Waugh, Centre Director at Bluewater, said: “We are delighted to have received the Green Flag Award here at Bluewater for the eighth time.

“Our Nature Trail is maintained by the fantastic team at Nurture Landscapes, and we really take pride in our local environment.

“The Awards set the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces in the UK, so this is a tremendous accolade to receive.”