Councillor Sarah Chambers, Cabinet Member for Communities, Equalities and Public Safety, said:
Derby City Council understands and shares the pride our residents feel in being British. We proudly fly the Union Flag outside the Council House every day, and we recognise both the Union Flag and the Flag of St George as important symbols of our national identity. We fully support and welcome those who choose to fly these flags on their own property. We also encourage any residents interested in installing an official flagpole in their area to approach their local ward councillors to discuss the process and possibilities.
In recent weeks we’ve seen the Union Flag and the Flag of St George flown informally across the country. During this time, Derby City Council has taken the decision not to exercise our discretionary legal powers to remove flags or bunting that has been placed on street furniture, such as lamp posts and bridges, unless they’ve been a health and safety hazard. It is important to note that many other councils across the UK have taken a similar stance.
It is time to bring this campaign of flag flying to an end as we need to begin to clear our lampposts for future seasonal and commemorative events.
We would like to offer everyone who has raised a flag on public land the opportunity to retrieve them in a safe manner, during the next week. Any individual choosing to remove flags does so at their own risk, and we would strongly discourage any action that may compromise personal safety, particularly where height or equipment is involved. Responsibility for such actions lies entirely with the individual concerned.
From Monday 29 September, Derby City Council will start removing any items from public spaces and street furniture. Any left up after this date will be stored at Derby City Council.
We’ve applied flexibility in our discretion in recent weeks, but going forward anyone wishing to display posters, banners, flags or similar on public land or street furniture must obtain the standard permissions. As part of our statutory responsibility to keep public spaces safe and well-maintained, we will be required to remove items that have not obtained the standard permissions.