Village told it cannot have Christmas lights unless England flags taken down
A village in Kent said it had been told it had to remove all flags from its lampposts, including St George’s flags, if it wanted to put up its Christmas lights.
Harrietsham District Council (HPC) said it has been given the green light to erect seasonal decorations along the A20, with the condition that flags are removed due to a “safety risk”.
The reform-led Kent County Council (KCC), which granted the permit, said the condition was made “to ensure the lights come on safely” and insisted HPC would not face significant extra costs. But the district council said it could not be confident that festive decor could go up, citing the “financial implications” of the situation.
In a post on its website, HPC wrote: “Kent County Council has given permission for the Parish Council’s Christmas lights to be installed along the A20 in the coming weeks. However, this approval comes with the condition that all flags currently on lampposts are removed before the lights are switched on as they pose a safety risk.”
“This requirement from Kent County Council may result in the installation of Christmas lights not being able to go ahead as planned for 2025. Despite this, the Parish Council will still be responsible for the cost of the rental as regulations were in place before permission was granted.”
He added that it was “important” to inform residents of the “financial implications” of the permit and that it would be “disappointing” if decorations could not be installed.
It is understood that the majority of flags currently flying on the A20 in the village are St George flags.
Residents said they had originally hoped those who put up St George’s flags would remove them so the village could enjoy its Christmas lights. Speaking to the BBC, Ray Bastone said: “I don’t know why the people who put up the flags don’t take them down at Christmas so the lights can come on. They can put them up later if they want.”
“It’s a shame we don’t have lights.”
Peter Osborne, KCC’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said in a statement: “The claim that Harrietsham District Council will face significant extra costs is absolutely false. “The contractor they have already hired to install the Christmas lights can remove the obstruction flags as part of the same job – no significant additional costs should be expected.
“We fully support communities coming together to celebrate Christmas with festive lights; it’s a treasured tradition that brings people together. But safety must come first. Flags on lampposts pose a risk during installation, so these need to be removed to ensure the lights come on safely and can be enjoyed by everyone.”
Harrietsham District Council has been contacted. Independent for comment.
