Giant Union Jack flag “advertisement” must come down, says Chesterfield council
A giant Union Jack flag hanging from a prominent Chesterfield building – described as a “large-format advertisement” for it’s manufacturer – must be removed, says the council.
Chesterfield Borough Council’s (CBC) deputy leader Amanda Serjeant says the banner – which bears the logo flytheflag.uk in massive lettering – is “in breach of planning control”.
The building it has been hoisted on – the former Saltergate home of North East Derbyshire District Council – is not owned by the council, however CBC has contacted its current owner and requested the “flag advertisements” including a smaller one its roof be removed.
Appearing on Monday, the enormous banner appears to have been produced by flytheflag.uk, an organisation which according to its website encourages “pride in our heritage”, aiming to “bring the Union Jack back into everyday life”.
Participants in the Fly The Flag campaign are encouraged to place flags on balconies, windows, cars, bikes and mobile phones cases. St George’s Cross and Union Jack standards have been appearing across Chesterfield for several weeks now, as is the case in towns and cities across the UK.
Commenting on the flag Councillor Amanda Serjeant said the council already “proudly” flies the Union Flag outside Chesterfield Town Hall all year round, in celebration the nation's identity.
She said: “As a council we welcome the flying of the Union Flag and St George’s Flag as a positive expression of national pride and unity, reflecting the shared values of all our residents across all of our communities.
“Over recent weeks we have all seen the many flags which have appeared across our borough, and many of the places where flags are being located are looked after by Derbyshire County Council, like lamp posts, street furniture and road markings.”
Cllr Serjeant said when flags are flown on council buildings or land it will assess each situation on a case-by-case basis, taking into account relevant factors such as location, safety and potential impacts on an area before making any decisions about their removal.
"As the local planning authority this includes legal responsibilities which we need to consider – such as protecting conservation areas and regulating unauthorised advertising and signage,” said Amanda.
She added: “As regards the flags which have been displayed on the former North East Derbyshire District Council building on Saltergate, both of these displays have altered the Union flag to the point where they are considered to be large-format advertisements promoting a commercial website.
“The owner of the building, which is within the town centre conservation area, has not sought permission for these advertisements. In line with our standard approach we have been in touch with the owner to advise that this is in breach of planning control and have requested that the flag advertisements are removed.”
The former NEDDC has stood empty since 2015. In 2021 developer Homes by Holmes was granted planning permission for 59 flats at the building. However the conversion was never begun following a dispute with Chesterfield Borough Council.