Flying the Flag for Gloucester

The accolade which celebrates places that provide a diverse, safe and welcoming night out has been awarded to the city for the fifth year in a row.

Like the Blue Flag for beaches or the Green Flag for parks, the award follows a rigorous accreditation process.

The purple flag is awarded to cities or towns that show that they have a safe and welcoming night-time economy, based on the following criteria:

• Wellbeing: successful destinations are all safe and welcoming with all everyone playing their part in delivering high standards of customer care.
• Movement: getting home safely after an evening out is really important, as is the ability to move around the centre with ease.
• Appeal: successful destinations offer a vibrant choice of leisure and entertainment for a diversity of ages, groups, lifestyles and cultures.
• Place: successful areas are alive during the day, as well as in the evening. They contain a blend of overlapping activities that encourage people to mingle and enjoy the place.

The prestigious award is also held by neighbouring Cheltenham and Bristol.

City council officers, the police, City Safe, Ubico, Gloucester LVA and the Gloucester BID all contributed to Gloucester’s application.

Councillor Richard Cook, Leader of Gloucester City Council, said: “This is a fantastic accomplishment and I’d like to thank everyone who worked to secure it. Gloucester is a vibrant city and a great place to visit by day and at night, so we want to make sure it is welcoming for visitors and residents alike. "I’m delighted that we can continue to say we’re a Purple Flag destination.”