Derbyshire building owner puts up even bigger Union Jack amid council dispute
The owner of a prominent Chesterfield building covered its face with an even bigger Union Jack flag, even as he faces legal consequences from the borough council for breaching planning rules.
Property developer James Holmes first hung a giant flag on the former North East Derbyshire District Council offices in Saltergate back in September, in part promoting his own Fly the Flag campaign “to encourage every UK resident to proudly fly the Union Jack.”
The move attracted criticism from various corners concerning incorrect elements of the flag design and incorporated campaign publicity, as well as the debated political symbolism – but Chesterfield Borough Council went further in ordering the flag’s removal, judging it to be a “large-format advertisement” which had not received necessary planning permissions.
In the end, Storm Amy saw to its removal but on Friday, October 24, an even bigger version appeared, this time with the traditionally correct design and without the campaign website address emblazoned across it.
James said: “The wind tore it down but the council was also causing trouble saying it was an advertisement, so when I came to replace it I took out the things the council weren’t happy about.
“What I’m trying to do is get people talking and thinking where they can display the flag. I believe we’ve lost that connection in society over the last 30 years or so, between our identity and pride in our own flag and nation.
“It’s like we’ve been indoctrinated to be ashamed of it, and be more accepting of supranational organisations like the EU and United Nations having sovereignty over individual countries.
“But if you’re going to be effectively ashamed of a flag, why would you work hard, pay your taxes and try and do well for your country?”
He added: “I think it’s absolute hypocrisy too. We’ve put Remembrance poppies and ‘Tommys’ on the building too, and people are only able to complain about stuff like this because of the sacrifices other people made for their country.”
Having spent an estimated £10,000 of his own money on the project – “a small price to pay instead of deciding to emigrate and leave the country to loonies” – James says the flags have received an overwhelmingly positive response but acknowledges there may be different points of view.
He has been regularly inviting people to meet him beneath the flag and debate its significance on camera for the campaign’s social media channels.
He will be there again from 11am on Saturday, November 1, and this time says he has issued a direct invitation to council chief executive Huw Bowen.
James said: “I’d ask anyone to come meet me for tea and biscuits, talk about the flag and if we have a heated debate we’ll finish with a handshake or a hug.
“By sending out threatening letters, the council have just made themselves look like tits. Someone should come down, represent the council and show people they’re not just anti-British.”
Unless or until the council succeeds in forcing the flag’s removal, James says it will remain in place for as long as he works on converting the building into an apartment complex.
He added: “If they want to continue making something of it, we’ll see how their officers want to spend taxpayers’ money.
“I’m sure no taxpayers’ will get a quicker response from the council on any other issue than the speed they’ve sent me letters about this. I’d suggest they get some real work done.”
A spokesperson for Chesterfield Borough Council said: “It’s evident that Mr Holmes is keen to recognise our national period of Remembrance, which is something we also value highly as a council.
“We will soon be installing our much-loved cascade of red poppies down the front of the Town Hall, and the Union Flag will continue to fly proudly above the building – as it does every day of the year. People across Chesterfield borough are invited to come together and pay their respects in our annual Remembrance Day Service and Parade on Sunday 9 November.
“The large Union Flag which is currently displayed on the front of Mr Holmes’ building does not breach any planning laws, and therefore the council will not be taking any enforcement action in relation to this matter.
“We did contact Mr Holmes in relation to the previous Union Flags on the front, and on top of the building, as these advertised a commercial website and are therefore classed as unauthorised advertisements. We intend to take enforcement action if the remaining unauthorised advertisement is not removed.”
All aerial images used in this story were provided courtesy of Sean Morgan. For more information on his work, go to smaerialphotography.uk or join the Chesterfield Aerial Photography Group.