Northern Ireland town named one of the Greenest Places in the UK

It has emerged that the Global travel site Big 7 Travel and car comparison specialists HolidayCars have carried out a study on The Greenest Places in the UK.

They were looking for places across the UK that were ranked based on sustainability practices, green spaces, public transport options, local food production, community engagement, renewable energy use, eco-friendly housing, air quality, support for local businesses, and recognition for green efforts.

And Randalstown in Co Antrim – coming in 16th position – was named as one of the Greenest Places in the UK.

It’s the only location in Northern Ireland to make the list.

They say: “A small town in Northern Ireland, Randalstown deserves a place on this list because it recently won the prestigious award of the Best Kept Town across the island of Ireland in 2024, which includes towns in the Republic of Ireland as well as Northern Ireland.

"Randalstown has also been a key town in Northern Ireland for its green efforts spanning almost 100 years – which is much longer than other UK towns and cities that have been actively making green efforts.

"For example, a commercial forest was created between 1935 and 1940 and is today known as Randalstown Forest: it contains a variety of national and international trees, ranging from the oak, elm and ash to the Norway spruce and European larch.

"In addition, the Boulevard which is an area planted with native trees has been planted by a local environmental group called Tidy Randalstown, in an effort to make the town entrance more welcoming.

"Randalstown is also home to several other green projects, such as Our Greenway Restored, which is a project along the River Maine, where plant containers have been used to help revitalise the riverbanks, thanks to funding from the Department’s Living Places and Spaces fund.

"Finally, in 2022, a community garden opened in Randalstown called the Viaduct Community Garden, harking back to Randaltown’s heritage, and is used by all members of the community who grow their own produce and share it between each other, supporting locally-produced fruit and vegetables, further reducing residents’ carbon footprints and helping residents eat local, healthy food.”

See the full list of winners here – The 20 Greenest Places in the UK