Green Flag flies in Cowan Park for first time
The Green Flag has been raised in Cowan Park for the first time, following the Barrhead park being awarded the accolade this summer.
Published 23 September 2025
The Green Flag Award is an international standard for clean, safe and well-maintained parks and green spaces, administered in Scotland by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful.
The park has a wide variety of well-used facilities including a play area with state of the art, accessible equipment and football pitches, and this year's award comes after considerable investment over recent years. One of the key projects was bringing the historic Gate Lodge back into community use; transforming it into a vibrant community and enterprise hub, led by local charity Include Me 2 Club, with café, toilets, bike hub and meeting space.
In addition, the tennis courts and bandstand were fully refurbished, and the Council has spent a further £160,000 in improvements to benches, bins, the flagpole, paths and new signage. The year-round ground maintenance, litter picking and pitch maintenance carried out by Neighbourhood Services employees also played a significant part in achieving the Green Flag Status.
East Renfrewshire Environment & Housing Convener Danny Devlin said: 'I'm absolutely delighted that Cowan Park has been awarded the prestigious Green Flag. This recognition is a testament to how much the park is loved by our local community and visitors alike. With its fantastic facilities, beautiful green spaces and the significant investment we've made in recent years, it's no surprise that it was judged to be a shining example of what a well-cared-for public space should be. I'd like to extend my thanks to our dedicated employees who work so hard to maintain the park to such a high standard all year round, as well as those who led the various investment projects over recent year. Spending time outdoors is so important in ensuring we all live well, and this award reinforces our commitment to providing our residents with high quality facilities across East Renfrewshire.'
Rouken Glen Park and Whitelee Windfarm also received the Green Flag Award this year.
