Flintshire County Council’s position on flags

Flintshire County Council understand the importance of civic pride and recognise that people wish to express their support by displaying flags as has been happening across the country.

In recent days, flags have been appearing on lamp posts, street lighting columns and bridge structures across the county. 

For safety reasons, we urge people not to attach flags to, or paint things on, public property without permission. This is particularly important in areas within the public highway, where flags or markings could breach the Highways Act and pose a safety risk to road users, particularly if they become loose, obstruct visibility or have the potential to cause a distraction to drivers and increase the risk of accidents. 

The Highways Act 1980 states it is an offence to affix items to structures on the highway without the consent of the highway authority.  Road markings are strictly regulated for safety reasons, and it is a criminal offence to deface them under the Act. 

Leader of the Council, Councillor Dave Hughes, said:

“We recognise that some residents want to show their pride, and this needs to done in a way that is safe and respectful. To keep everyone safe, we will have to carry out our legal Highways duties and we will only remove any unauthorised flags or markings that pose a potential hazard or safety issue to highway users.  Where installations are found to be unsafe or unlawful, they may be removed.”

We remain committed to supporting expressions of civic pride in ways that are safe, respectful and within the law.