Flag flying rules
Following reports of people being told by police and jobsworth council officials, we have sought clarification from the British Department for English Culture, English Media and English Sport on the flag flying rules. The response is as follows:
Dear Mr Parr
Thank you for your e-mail of 26 May, requesting clarification on flag flying issues.
You are correct to say that any national flag can be flown without the need to apply for advertisement consent from the local planning authority. A flag, including any national one, incorporating wording or a logo would require the consent.
Other flags exempt, under the Town & Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations, from the need to apply are the European Union Flag, the Commonwealth Flag, the United Nations Flag, official county flags and saints flags flown in the county with which that saint is associated.
As long as any necessary planning permission has been obtained for the flagpole itself, it does not matter which type of pole the flags fly from.
I hope you find this information helpful, but please contact me again if you require any further clarification.
Regards,
Chris Green
Public Engagement & Recognition Unit
Department for Culture, Media & Sport
If anyone in a position of authority tells you to take down your flag, please get in touch with details (make sure you get their name).
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I don’t think flying the St. George flag should be a major issue, as long as english people are sensitive to the needs of the other people who live in England. There is a feeling that the English flag represents White Anglo-Saxon Protestants but you don’t need to be White or Anglo-Saxon or Protestant to be english. Remember Islam is the fastest growing religion in England with over a billion followers worldwide, and England is no longer a christian country. Understandably, some Muslims find the flag offensive because it reminds them of a shameful time in English history, and see it like the Jews would see a swastika. But with some care and attention, I don’t see flying the flag is a major problem as long as it isn’t used for racism against Muslims and others.
June 8th, 2010 at 1:52 pmIf I want to fly my English flag in England I will do so without permission from anyone.
What shameful time in English history. Are you sure you are not Steve!
June 8th, 2010 at 4:40 pmWho say England is not a christian country…Show me were it is said and who said it and I’ll show you a fool…What part of my English history is shameful to men not of my country…The English flag is not a swastika. Please tell us, We English are waiting. I will fly and wave my country flag when ever I wise too. If it’s major problem and seems to be racism against others, then leave this country and don’t look at our English flag.
P.S It great news to hear clarification and learn about the flag flying rules. Now the English flag can and will be flown from all public owned places.
June 9th, 2010 at 2:16 amEnglishMuslim some Christians and Jews find the Red crescent flag offensive as it represents a shameful period (now) in Muslim history when Muslims use the Koran against others, are blowing up each other (Shia and Shiite.) Many Muslims want to ‘throw the Jews into the sea’, and Sharia law would take us back to the Middle Ages, a period in which some Muslim countryies still live apparently. Stonings, beheadings etc. etc.
June 9th, 2010 at 8:30 amEngland is still a Christian country. The Head of Sate is also the head of the Church of England and long may it remain so.
No one seems to talk abnout the ‘sword of Islam’ by which Muslims overran the Christian countries of the middle East and subjugated their Christian inhabitants reducing them to at best second class citizens. Fortunately the Christian monarchs of Spain were able to do what the crusades failed to do and returned that country to christianity. Always remember that this country is founded on Christian principles and a very great number of Muslims have come here presumably because of that – or is there another agenda?
June 9th, 2010 at 11:00 amEaxctly Scilla. England provides a high level of protection to all its citizens irrespective of race, religion etc.
June 9th, 2010 at 12:40 pmHeres a little web site which campaigns for flying our English flag and are looking for help…FlytheFlag.net. has a letter to send to your local council on why they don’t fly your/our flag on public owened buildings…Is permission and consent needed to erect and fly our flag from public owned council and town hall building?
As it has been comformed the English flag is exempt under the Town and Country planning, therefore who could/would deny and stop permission from being obtained for the flag pole being erected on our public owned buildings…As already clarifided our flag is exempt and they are our buildings.
June 9th, 2010 at 6:07 pmRemember that England has only recently launched two ‘crusades’ against Muslim countries, Iraq and Afghanistan to solve problems that English imperialism created – after all Afghanistan was an English colony in 1910s and Iraq in 1930s. It is sheer hypocrisy that English Muslims come here and are treated with such contempt. England can no longer promote itself as an imperialist state with ideas of the English master race that can subjugate both its closest neighbours and countries abroad. More and more English having made a mess of their country are now embracing Islam to solve problems of alcholism, teenage pregnancy, hooliganism, street violence. English extremism has already led to some terrorism. Let us hope more of us find peace in Islam. Allah knows best!
June 9th, 2010 at 7:15 pmLots of countries have been to Afghanistan and most countries have been imperialistic at some time in their history, you make out that all Muslims are angels but some of us know different.
Are you sure all Muslims agree with you? Read this if you have the stomach. These are not my words as you can see, so no threats please! And by the way, I do have some sympathy for the plight of the Palestinians!
“From the heart of a Muslim – Tawfik Hamid
I was born a Muslim and lived all my life as a follower of Islam.
June 9th, 2010 at 8:34 pmAfter the barbaric terrorist attacks done by the hands of my fellow Muslims everywhere on this globe, and after the too many violent acts by Islamists in many parts of the world, I feel responsible as a Muslim and as a human being, to speak out and tell the truth to protect the world and Muslims as well from a coming catastrophe and war of civilizations.
I have to admit that our current Islamic teaching creates violence and hatred toward Non-Muslims.
We Muslims are the ones who need to change. Until now we have accepted polygamy, the beating of women by men, and killing those who convert from Islam to other religions.
We have never had a clear and strong stand against the concept of slavery or wars, to spread our religion and to subjugate others to Islam and force them to pay a humiliating tax called Jizia. We ask others to respect our religion while all the time we curse non-Muslims loudly (in Arabic) in our Friday prayers in the Mosques.
What message do we convey to our children when we call the Jews “Descendants of the pigs and monkeys”. Is this a message of love and peace, or a message of hate?
I have been into churches and synagogues where they were praying for Muslims. While all the time we curse them, and teach our generations to call them infidels, and to hate them.
We immediately jump in a ‘knee jerk reflex’ to defend Prophet Mohammed when someone accuses him of being a pedophile while, at the same time, we are proud with the story in our Islamic books, that he married a young girl seven years old (Aisha) when he was above 50 years old.
I am sad to say that many, if not most of us, rejoiced in happiness after September 11th and after many other terror attacks.
Muslims denounce these attacks to look good in front of the media, but we condone the Islamic terrorists and sympathise with their cause. Till now our ‘reputable’ top religious authorities have never issued a Fatwa or religious statement to proclaim Bin Laden as an apostate, while an author, like Rushdie, was declared an apostate who should be killed according to Islamic Shariia law just for writing a book criticizing Islam.
Muslims demonstrated to get more religious rights as we did in France to stop the ban on the Hejab (Head Scarf), while we did not demonstrate with such passion and in such numbers against the terrorist murders.
It is our absolute silence against the terrorists that gives the energy to these terrorists to continue doing their evil acts. We Muslims need to stop blaming our problems on others or on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. As a matter of honesty, Israel is the only light of democracy, civilization and human rights in the whole Middle East.
We kicked out the Jews with no compensation or mercy from most of the Arab countries to make them “Jews-Free countries” while Israel accepted more than a million Arabs to live there, have its nationality, and enjoy their rights as human beings. In Israel, women can not be beaten legally by men, and any person can change his/her belief system with no fear of being killed by the Islamic law of ‘Apostasy,’ while in our Islamic world people do not enjoy any of these rights. I agree that the ‘Palestinians’ suffer, but they suffer because of their corrupt leaders and not because of Israel.
It is not common to see Arabs who live in Israel leaving to live in the Arab world. On the other hand, we used to see thousands of Palestinians going to work with happiness in Israel, its ‘enemy’. If Israel treats Arabs badly as some people claim, surely we would have seen the opposite happening.
We Muslims need to admit our problems and face them. Only then we can treat them and start a new era to live in harmony with human mankind. Our religious leaders have to show a clear and very strong stand against polygamy, pedophilia, slavery, killing those who convert from Islam to other religions, beating of women by men, and declaring wars on non-Muslims to spread Islam.
Then, and only then, do we have the right to ask others to respect our religion. The time has come to stop our hypocrisy and say it openly: ‘We Muslims have to Change’.”
Three points: It was not English but British imperialism hat attempted to control Afghanistan in the past and that was not to exploit the Afghans but to protect British India from the Russian Imperialism. Diversity training should have pointed out the difference between England and Britain.
Secondly the current use of British troops in Afghanistan was as a result of the disgusting, indiscriminate and brutal killing of thousands by Muslim fanatics.
Thirdly the situation in Palestine/Israel is as a result of immigration that British troops were unable to control. Learn the lesson of uncontrolled immigration!
June 10th, 2010 at 8:43 amMoreover English extremism, if there is such a thing has not led to terrorism. the violence is instigated by the fascist thugs of the UAF. How ghastly to equate any such trouble with the killing of thousands.
Islam has no more answers to teenage pregancy, hooliganism and alcoholism than Christianity, except coersion and threats.
Judge not that ye be not judged Mark 4.24
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Matthew 7:15
June 10th, 2010 at 8:55 amI know that when there issues over the Red Cross flag, a Red Crescent flag was also designed. If there is a debate over replacing the Cross of St. George with something more positive and inclusive, this could be taken into consideration.
June 10th, 2010 at 9:49 amNO
June 10th, 2010 at 10:02 amEnglishMuslim how about replacing Islam with something more positive and inclusive?
June 10th, 2010 at 10:51 ami know ive upset some people on this website using this word
i “HATE” religion its for narrow minded people who have no proof and start wars
just fly your flag with pride
June 10th, 2010 at 3:45 pmYou hypocrites are these your pranks
To murder men and give god thanks
Resist from shame proceed no further
Because god won’t accept your thanks for murder
robert burns
June 10th, 2010 at 3:52 pmI’m feeling slightly offended by this thread, isn’t there a health and safety policy somewhere that I can use to get it removed?
June 10th, 2010 at 6:46 pmREPLACING THE CROSS..WHY SHOULD WE.
June 10th, 2010 at 8:57 pmHello
“Comment by “EnglishMuslim”
I know that when there issues over the Red Cross flag, a Red Crescent flag was also designed. If there is a debate over replacing the Cross of St. George with something more positive and inclusive, this could be taken into consideration.”
Comment from an very irate Scotsman, if the followers of Islam try to replace the Flag of England , the Cross of St George , I will fight with every with every bone in my body, with my very being to prevent that happenning.
The English flag is the national flag of England , to compare it to a swastika and all that represents is offensive to me !
I might not be English but I would fight for their flag in those circumstances.
Have a nice life .
June 10th, 2010 at 11:01 pmThank you MCFEAGLE.
June 12th, 2010 at 1:40 amEnglishMuslim…
Hi Steve
June 12th, 2010 at 7:41 amOk, there seems to be a question mark over the identity of some of the commenters here. I’ve had a look back at the comments and concluded that Steve is indeed posting using more than one name and that EnglishMuslim is more than one person. I won’t go into details because I don’t want to give any information that would help people conceal their activities but I have been moderating forums and blogs for a long time and uncovered more trolls than I care to mention.
So, those of you using more than one name or sharing names with other people, please stop playing games. If you won’t put your name to something, don’t say it at all.
June 18th, 2010 at 9:49 pmWonkotsane. About sums them up don’t it. Empty vessels make the most noise… as we have found over many months and indeed years.
Signed: A sixty year old Englishman who is thoroughly pissed off listening to these people. (And by the way, who now wishes he had taught his children to be utterly intolerant human beings!).
June 18th, 2010 at 11:10 pmNo Bobby Boyce, don’t lose heart!
We are better than these people who don’t have the courage of their own convictions.
I met the most basic Fundamentlist Irish Protestant lunatic on holiday WHO BELONGED TO THE ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE! People like us have got to claim our flag and country back from the likes of him and Steve/EnglishMuslim/Englander (all the same person)! not walk away and thanks so so much Wonkotsane for exposing him!
June 19th, 2010 at 7:18 amStuart Eels, I am definitely not giving up. I just want to distance England from this obnoxious crowd of people. The sooner we go our own way the better I will feel, it’s as simple as that.
June 19th, 2010 at 8:26 amI wish Enoch Powell was around now.The war has started.The English nation has woken up.Only dont expect the tories or nu labour or bleeding heart liberal beardies to help you.They take their orders from Europe.The beast has risen out of the sea.
June 19th, 2010 at 12:25 pmBobby Boyce, Glad to hear thart you haven’t given up!
Kip Kane, What has Enoch Powell got to do with anything, when his views were to far to the right of a VERY UNIONIST TORY PARTY he went off to Northern Ireland and joined the UIONIST party there. He was no particular friend of England, he was of a group, who if still in power would have 1st, 2nd and 3rd class travel on the railways and no one from the two bottom classes being allowed into power!!!!!!!!
June 19th, 2010 at 1:02 pmIs there any way we can stop moslems from immigrating to the uk? The English nation voted the conservative party back in to office.But the tories wont stop immigration will they.They cant as we are full members of the EU.So everybody living in the UK whether we are Scots or English or Welsh is fu@@ed.Think about it.
June 21st, 2010 at 7:33 pmKip Kane…
Stevie, is that you? It certainly has your ‘style’.
.
June 21st, 2010 at 8:36 pmTerry,
Yes, Terry, I think you are so right! Has he nothing else to do?
June 21st, 2010 at 9:11 pmMaybe we could talk about doughnuts! But perhaps not, it may prove to be just too offensive.
June 21st, 2010 at 10:54 pmI always thought Steve was Welsh, but I’m beginning to wonder if he is Scottish.
A “Kip Kane” blogged on a Scottish Nationalist site (1)…
“I wish the english would shut the @#$% up. The Scottish people will decide what they want. We are a nation and we will never submit to british rule. Go home ya huns. Take ter queen along wi ye.”
And on a campaign to boycott the Scotsman for being enti independence (2)…
“I wont buy it again. My message is wake up. Resist British rule.Vote National Party.”
And finally, on this very website (3)…
“Well if your English you know what to do then. Vote for the English National Party. Haven’t got one? Then get together and start one like we Scots did 80 years ago.Dont vote for any parties that are part of the establishment. Labour, tory or liberal will screw England.They are desperate now that the Scots have woken up.That’s why they avoid even mentioning the word England.”
So Kip, keep your nasty racist attitudes to Scottish nationalist websites. They’re not welcome here.
1 http://www.ianhamiltonqc.com/blog/?p=1112 http://www.pledgebank.com/binthescotsman
June 22nd, 2010 at 8:46 am3 http://www.thecep.org.uk/wordpress/2008/03/11/i-pledge-my-alliegence/
Terry,
You can not be sure that the Kip Kane who posts on this site is the same as the one you have highlighted. “Kip Kane” is a common used alias in Scotland.
As for being racist.. Really!.. the comment about the English National Party and Scotman (North Britishman) newspaper is just common sense I would have thought.
However I do not condone profanity. well not often, unless England scores that is..
June 22nd, 2010 at 6:52 pmDalriada, thanks for the heads up. What is the significance of the name/phrase Kip Kane?
If it is common parlance in Scotland, I assume both Kip Kanes (if they are not one) are Scottish, because I’ve not heard it down here.
Regarding the racist comment, I was referring to the Enoch Powell, anti-Muslim rant by Kip Kane above
June 23rd, 2010 at 5:53 am