Controversial flag campaigner hosts “chat” morning outside derelict Chesterfield building
The owner of a prominent Chesterfield building hosted a “chat” morning about a huge Union Jack flag draped on its frontage.
James Holmes – also head of the flytheflag.uk campaign – had the huge standard hung from the former former North East Derbyshire District Council building early last month.
Chesterfield Borough Council (CBC) leaders branded the flag a “large-format advertisement promoting a commercial website” and a “breach of planning control”, requesting its removal, along with a smaller one on the building’s roof.
However a month later the flag remains on the Saltergate building and on Thursday James held a discussion forum outside the building with the intention of gathering public opinions about it.
At the time of the meeting James had been informed by CBC that he had until October 7 to remove the huge banner or face prosecution and fines for each day it continues to be displayed.
Speaking to Derbyshire Times about the chat morning, James said: “I wouldn’t want everybody to come and agree with me – there were some you could talk to and some you couldn’t.
"I wanted people to come and have a debate and a cup of tea – otherwise it’s just my opinion – but there is a lot of support from people papping their horns driving past and on Facebook.”
With court action looming, James insists he has no intention of removing the large flag and the smaller one on the building’s roof. He said: “No problem. I’ll expose the council for wasting tax payers’ money. Let the council do what they want.”
James, who runs Homes by Holmes property development company, had hoped back in 2021 to turn the North East Derbyshire District Council former headquarters into up to 75 “high-quality” one, two and three-bedroom apartments.
However he walked away from the deal when the council refused to waive a £250,000 planning charge. James, who paid around £1,500 for the massive Union Jack to be made and hung, says he started the Fly The Flag campaign because the flag had become a symbol of “racism” or “hatred” in recent years.
Though James says flytheflag.uk does request some donations and sells some flags at cost, the campaign is mostly self-funded, with large banners like the Saltergate one designed to “start the debate”, he added.
On its website the campaign encourages “pride in our heritage”, aiming to “bring the Union Jack back into everyday life”. Participants are urged to place flags on balconies, windows, cars, bikes and mobile phones cases.
In a letter dated October 1 CBC warns James that if the flags are not removed by October 7 he could face a fine of up to £2,500 – increasing by £250 a day until they are taken down.