Lichfield has retained its prestigious Purple Flag status, providing national recognition of the city’s safe, welcoming and thriving evening economy.
The internationally recognised accreditation – similar to the Blue Flag for beaches – recognises towns and cities which combine a vibrant and diverse offer with high standards of safety, management and partnership working.
For Lichfield, retaining Purple Flag recognises both the strength of the city’s food, drink, leisure and cultural offer and the work taking place to ensure residents and visitors can enjoy it in a safe and welcoming environment.
Independent restaurants, pubs and bars sit alongside major events, arts and entertainment venues and the city’s historic attractions, creating a distinctive offer which continues throughout the day and into the evening.
Purple Flag assesses how towns and cities are managed between 5pm and 5am, looking at areas including safety and wellbeing, the quality and diversity of what is on offer, how people move around the city and partnership working.
Assessors visited Lichfield in July, spending a Saturday evening and early Sunday morning experiencing the city first-hand.
In its feedback, Purple Flag highlighted three particular strengths in Lichfield’s submission: the Late-night Listeners and their active engagement with the public; the three-day Fuse Festival in Beacon Park, which attracts thousands of people to enjoy free live music and cultural activities; and strong leadership and cross-party support for the city’s evening economy priorities.
There are no other Purple Flag cities, or towns, in Staffordshire.
Councillor Janice Silvester-Hall, Cabinet Member for Visitor Economy, Ecology & Climate Change, said:
“Retaining our Purple Flag is a significant achievement for Lichfield and something everyone who contributes to our city centre should be incredibly proud of.
“Lichfield has a fantastic and distinctive offer. Our independent restaurants, pubs and bars, cultural venues, events and historic attractions all contribute to a city centre which is full of character and gives residents and visitors so many reasons to spend time here.
“But just as important is making sure people feel safe and welcome while they are enjoying everything Lichfield has to offer. Purple Flag provides independent recognition of the work taking place across the city to achieve that.
“This is a collective achievement. It relies on the continued commitment of our businesses, venues, volunteers, police, emergency services and community partners, all working together to make Lichfield a safe, welcoming and enjoyable place to visit.
“I want to thank everyone involved in retaining this important accreditation. As our city continues to grow and we invest in its future, protecting the qualities that make Lichfield such a special place to visit will remain a priority.”
Leanne Jones, of The Duke of York and The Angel Inn and a member of Lichfield’s Purple Flag Partnership, said:
“Retaining Purple Flag status is a fantastic achievement for Lichfield and reflects the huge amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to keep our city safe, welcoming and enjoyable at night.
“Our licensees and venue managers work incredibly hard, investing in staff training, strong safety procedures and professional door teams. We’re also incredibly fortunate to have such a fabulous community of businesses, venues, staff, partners and customers who look out for one another.
“I’m also very aware of the enormous amount of work undertaken by the council and the other members of the Purple Flag Partnership. This includes the brilliant work of the Late Night Listeners and the Community Safety Partnership, whose continued support helps people feel safe and cared for while enjoying our city.
“It’s this shared commitment and genuine sense of community that makes Lichfield such a safe and special place to live, work and enjoy a night out.”
Lichfield’s successful Purple Flag submission was led by us and supported by a city-wide partnership including Lichfield City Council, Staffordshire Police, Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service, Lichfield Garrick Theatre, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Lichfield Cathedral, Late Night Listeners, Lichfield Food Festival, Lichfield Arts, Lichfield District Council’s Visitor Economy Network and Lichfield District Council’s Community Safety Partnership.
There are 100 Purple Flag destinations around the world, across the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Malta, New Zealand and Australia, ranging from world-renowned tourist destinations to smaller market towns.
Purple Flag has represented the gold standard of evening and night-time economy management for 16 years.