Pickles sets out plans to deregulate flag flying

The Communities Secretary has unveiled plans to deregulate the legal framework governing the flying of flags, claiming that the move could boost local and national identities in England and strengthen community cohesion.

Flags are deemed to be advertisements and their display is controlled by the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007 No. 783).

Under this regime a limited number of flags can currently be flown without express permission from local authority officials (schedule 1 Class H).

These are: any country’s national flag; the European Union, the United Nations; the flag of the Commonwealth; the flag of any English county; and the flag of a patron saint but only in the county with which the saint is associated.

Other flags can meanwhile be flown with deemed consent (Schedule 3 Class 7A), meaning that consent can be discontinued or restricted in certain circumstances. “These are a person or organisation's own flag or one advertising an event taking place in the building it is being flown from,” the Department for Communities and Local Government said.

“These flags must be flown from a vertical flagpole on the roof of the building. Military flags will still need the permission of the relevant body (such as regiment) before being flown.”

The DCLG said its proposals would allow people to fly a much wider range of flags, “including the flags of football and cricket clubs or town and village flags”. The plans will also make it easier to fly local regimental flags.

The Department added that restrictions on the flying of other local flags and special flags such as environmental awards could also be lifted.

Any flags outside the revised categories will still be prohibited in the absence of express consent.

Eric Pickles said: "If people want to celebrate something that is important to them by flying a flag they should be able to do so without having to fill in forms or paying town hall officials for the privilege. We will make it easier for people to celebrate their allegiance to a cause, a county or a local organisation if they choose to do so."