This petition has been reviewed and the following response has been offered:
Dear Petitioner
Thank you for presenting your petition entitled " Keep Our great countrys flags flying".
We are respectful of the importance of celebrating our national identity, and ECC proudly flies the Cross of St George every day at County Hall.
The English flag is a great source of national pride, alongside the other flags of the Union. They also reflect our proud history as a nation, and our deeply held national values - liberty, the rule of law, mutual respect, tolerance and fair play.
The following notes guide how we will act if there is a risk to drivers and/or pedestrians or others.
If flags need to be removed for any safety reason, we will explain why. This, of course, comes at a cost to the taxpayer.
Guidance
- Flags fixed to lighting columns/other highways structures: These will only be removed where placement causes a road safety or community safety concern. The exception to this will be any flags that are annotated with the emblem of a proscribed organisation.
- Flags painted on to highway (e.g. roundabouts, zebra crossing) or signs: These will be repainted where there is a significant road safety concern. ECC may not be able to repaint all sites, or repeatedly return to repaint site. The exception is for incidents where any slogans or their placement may be connected to a hate crime/Police investigation.
- Flags flying on private property: Providing planning is in place (where required) and there are no safety issues, no action will be taken.
- Flags placed on ECC buildings without permission: These will be removed if they present a material safety risk to site users or the building, utilising established procedures/maintenance agreements. Any potential criminal damage offence will be reported to Essex Police.
- Complaints: Any complaints about flags should be directed to ECC.Customerservices@essex.gov.uk
We hope this guidance provides clarity on how Essex County Council will respond to concerns regarding the display of flags, ensuring a balanced approach that respects national identity while maintaining public safety and compliance with the law. Thank you again for raising this matter.
Kind regards
Democratic Services