A Green-led council is considering a ban on Union flags being flown from lampposts, with people who breach the proposed rules potentially facing up to two years in prison.
Bristol City Council is reportedly preparing to prohibit residents from attaching flags to lampposts, saying they can become “a source of concern or division”.
Anyone found to have ignored the restrictions could face an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.
Deputy council leader Heather Mack said flags fixed to lampposts could also create “potential health and safety concerns”. She added that Bristol was “reviewing the approaches being taken by other local authorities”.
Last month, it was reported that Birmingham City Council was also planning to remove Union and St George’s flags from lampposts “to protect public safety”. Critics claimed the authority was “too scared” to remove Palestine flags without police protection.
The council, which is run by a coalition of Liberal Democrats, Greens and independents, has begun legal proceedings aimed at securing a ban on the flags.
If an injunction is granted, anyone who erects flags such as the St George’s Cross near roads without Birmingham Council’s approval could be liable for an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.
The move follows Oxfordshire County Council’s successful application for a High Court injunction preventing people from hanging flags from lampposts. Council workers had said they were living “in fear” of intimidation when removing them.
Bristol City Council is considering a ban on Union flags being flown from lampposts (File image)
Oxfordshire County Council sought to ban flags from being displayed on or near public highways, including those attached to lampposts in Birmingham
According to the BBC, Bristol City Council has already spent £50,000 addressing unauthorised flags. Ms Mack said the authority was also working to remove “flags and other unauthorised items… from council-owned infrastructure”.
She told The Telegraph: “We recognise that flags can mean different things to different people. For many residents, they are an expression of national identity, culture, heritage or community pride.
“For others, their presence in public spaces can be a source of concern or division. What is clear is that flags, banners and other items should not be attached to lamp posts, railings or other council-owned infrastructure.
“As well as creating potential health and safety concerns, this is not an appropriate use of public property. Flags and other unauthorised items are being removed from council-owned infrastructure across the city.”
Ms Mack said the Green-led authority was also “exploring further options around enforcement” while examining measures introduced by other councils.
Our News Outlet has contacted Bristol City Council for comment.
Union and St George’s flags have appeared on lampposts and road barriers across the country since last year’s Operation Raise the Colours campaign.
Some councils responded by removing the flags and painting over roundabouts where flag designs had been applied.
Oxfordshire County Council sought its injunction after staff reported living “in fear” of intimidation while taking down flags from lampposts.
Maintenance workers at the council have been instructed to wear face coverings and inspect their vehicles for tracking devices when removing the flags. The precautions were introduced after a colleague’s home address was published by campaigners.
The local authority, which was previously run by the Liberal Democrats but now has no overall control, had brought legal action to stop people raising flags near highways, which it said involved safety risks, as well as trespass and obstruction.
The widespread flying of Union and St George’s Cross flags, following an online campaign called Operation Raise the Colours, has become contentious and several councils have removed them from public infrastructure.
While some politicians decried the removals, others claimed the increased number being flown was a result of xenophobia or racism.
Oxfordshire County Council said flags had been placed on or near public roads without permission for months, despite a formal legal notice in March and pre-action legal letters sent to individuals in May.
In a judgment, Mr Justice Dexter Dias made an injunction ordering unknown people not to attach flags to highway structures or paint them on roads in Oxfordshire.
Breach of the injunction can lead to seizures of assets, unlimited fines or imprisonment.
The judge said workers have faced abuse or intimidation while taking flags down, as have residents.
This aerial photo shows two roundabouts in Walsall, West Midlands, painted with St George’s Crosses. Similar ones in Oxfordshire have been painted over by the council
Birmingham City Council first sparked outrage in August last year by ordering the removal of British flags from lampposts
Maintenance teams have been ‘working in fear’, are told to wear face coverings and have had to check vehicles for tracking tags after a worker’s home address was published, he said.
Tim Bearder, the leader of the council, said: ‘We proudly fly the Union Flag and St George’s flag at County Hall and we fully support the right of residents to display flags on their own private property.
‘However, there’s an important distinction between lawful expression and activity that puts people at risk or intimidates residents in their own communities.
‘This activity is not about national pride or unity. It is unlawful behaviour, which has caused fear and division within our communities.’
Also last month, Birmingham City Council said it was pursuing legal action to stop people raising the flags ‘to protect public safety’ after staff tasked with removing them also faced harassment and intimidation.
Jane Baston, a Green councillor and Birmingham’s cabinet member for equalities, communities and social justice, said: ‘The council is taking a lawful, proportionate and evidence-led approach to unauthorised attachments on the highway.
‘This includes pursuing injunctive action based on the evidence gathered to date. Our priority is to protect public safety, staff and contractor welfare, community cohesion and the responsible use of public funds.
‘We ask residents and community groups to support this approach and to ensure any displays are placed only where permission exists.’
Birmingham City Council first provoked outrage in August last year by ordering the removal of British flags from lampposts – while being ‘too scared’ to take down Palestine flags without police protection.
At the time, they claimed the flags put the lives of pedestrians and motorists ‘at risk’ despite being as much as 25ft off the ground.
The flags had been strung up by a small, organised group of residents to ‘show Birmingham and the rest of the country how proud we are of our history, freedoms and achievements’.
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