Owner of Chesterfield building and Fly The Flag campaigner says he is “up for fight” with council over huge Union Jack
The owner of a prominent derelict Chesterfield building currently adorned with a huge Union Jack flag has confirmed he is behind campaign organisation flytheflag.uk
James Holmes, of Homes by Holmes property development company, was contacted by Chesterfield Borough Council (CBC) when the massive standard was hoisted on the Saltergate building two weeks ago.
CBC leaders have branded the flag – which bears campaign logo flytheflag.uk in massive lettering – 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 two weeks later the flag remains in place. Speaking to Derbyshire Times today (Tuesday), Mr Holmes, who bought the former North East Derbyshire District Council building in 2021, confirmed he had no intention or removing the gigantic banner.
He said: “I think there’s plenty of council offices to waste plenty of our council tax payers’ money on and then claim they have budget deficits. I think there should be more important things they should be looking at and I couldn’t really care less what they think about it. If they want to make an issue out of it then Ok I’m up for the fight, let’s go.”
Back in 2021 James hoped 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. He added: “Things happen by people taking the initiative and just doing it.”
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.
Commenting on the flag earlier this month, CBC’s 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 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.”