Purple Flag is an Association of Town and City Management (ATCM) accreditation, to mark excellence in managing evening and night-time economies. Before awarding (or re-awarding) a town or city with the status, assessors visit destinations to evaluate their management against the ATCM standard.
The Business Improvement District (BID) GO! Southampton is among those reaccredited. It pointed to its Miracle Street Bus, offering safeguarding to the city centre’s night-time hotspots, especially during Freshers Week each autumn. The city’s BID hosted its first Night-Time Economy Conference at the O2 Guildhall in January. Michael Kill, CEO of the trade body the Night-Time Industries Association, opened the event.
Operations Manager at GO! Southampton Jade McCauley said: “We’ve retained our status for four years now – something we’re hugely proud of. It’s thanks to the hard work of my colleagues, our partners and local businesses that we’re flying the Purple Flag for another year.
“The accreditation recognises how hospitality, entertainment, transport and support services come together to provide a great night out for residents, visitors and students alike. Hosting our first Night-Time Economy conference was another important step forward. It gave us the opportunity to bring partners together, share insight, and look ahead at how we can continue to support and strengthen the sector.”
Chelmsford
Chelmsford City Council hosted an assessors’ visit in November 2025 and in February 2026 the city’s Purple Flag status was officially re-accredited. Assessors met with city councillors, Chelmsford City Council officers, senior Essex Police officers and the BID Chelmsford For You’s Night Time Economy Manager Marc Miller, besides business owners and the chair of Chelmsford Pubwatch, Ryan Rezezadeh. Arches in Chelmsford’s West End were given a special mention, with assessors commenting that the venues “show a very good use of an area that, if not properly managed, could feel very unsafe”. From the central control room at Chelmsford’s Civic Centre, CCTV feeds are monitored 24/7 by council officers, who have two-way communication with Essex Police and with businesses using PubLink. Assessors noted that this allows the CCTV team to operate “as a safety command and control centre”. The CCTV control room also has direct contact with the city’s Night Marshals and SOS Bus, two safety enhancement services that were recognised in the report, along with Chelmsford’s strong PubWatch network.
Night Marshals patrol the city on Saturday nights and are on-hand to assist members of the public whilst also supporting night-time economy businesses. The SOS Bus provides a safe haven to anyone who needs it every Saturday night, from 10pm to 4am.
Donna Eley, Cabinet Member for a Safer Chelmsford , said: “The night-time economy is a complex and important element of city living, so I am particularly proud that this report highlights Chelmsford City Council’s collaborative approach to working with Chelmsford For You, Essex Police and other Safer Chelmsford partners. I’m continuously proud of the work that goes in to keeping Chelmsford safe, day and night, and it’s wonderful to see that work recognised once again by ATCM.
“So much happens over a year and one can take small changes for granted, but this assessment serves as a great reminder of the constant improvements happening here in Chelmsford: the city has welcomed exciting new businesses over the last 12 months; the theatre has hosted multiple West End productions; lighting improvements have been made in parks and pedestrian areas; Night Marshals have been introduced to the city centre; and we’ve seen the opening of Bow Bridge and Beaulieu Park Station, advancing Chelmsford’s transportation network.”
And Marc Miller, Night Time Economy Manager at Chelmsford For You, said: “It’s a real credit to the people behind our city centre nightlife, the venue owners, managers, door teams, artists and staff who keep things fresh, safe and welcoming week in, week out.
“While many town and city centres across Essex have found the last few years very tough, Chelmsford’s night-time scene has shown real resilience. Businesses here haven’t stood still, they’ve adapted, invested and worked together to make sure our evening offer stays exciting and relevant.
Barnsley
Barnsley, pictured, was awarded Purple Flag for a seventh year. The town’s partnership includes South Yorkshire Police, the Violence Reduction Unit, Barnsley PubWatch, SSG Security Services, and Barnsley Council services, including licensing, housing and welfare, visitor economy, safer neighbourhoods, and place management.
Background
About 90 places in the UK and overseas are Purple Flag destinations, covering between the hours of 5pm and 5am; the visiting equivalent to Blue Flag awarded to beaches, and Green Flag for parks. Visit https://www.atcm.org/purple-flag.
Photo by Mark Rowe.
