A village in Kent has said it has been told it must remove all flags from lampposts – including St George’s flags – if it wants to put up its Christmas lights.
Harrietsham Parish Council (HPC) said it had been given the green light for seasonal decorations to be erected along the A20, on the condition flags were removed due to a “safety risk”.
Reform-led Kent County Council (KCC), who issued the permit, said the condition had been made “to ensure the lights go up safely” and insisted HPC will not face significant extra costs. But the parish council said it could not be sure the festive decor would be able to go up, citing “financial implications” of the condition.
In a post on its website, HPC wrote: “Kent County Council has now issued the permit for the Parish Council’s Christmas lights to be installed along the A20 in the coming weeks. However, the approval comes with a condition that any flags currently on the streetlight columns must be removed before the lights can go up, as they pose a safety risk.
“This condition from Kent County Council may result in the installation of the Christmas lights being unable to proceed as planned for 2025. Despite this, the Parish Council will still be liable for the hire cost, as the arrangements were in place before the permit was issued.”
It added it was “important” to make resident aware of the “financial implications” placed upon it by the permit, adding it would be “disappointing” if the decorations could not be installed.
It is understood the majority of flags currently hung along the A20 road in the village are St George’s flags.
Residents said they hoped those who had originally put the St George’s flags up would remove them to allow the village to enjoy its Christmas lights. Speaking to the BBC, Ray Bastone said: “I don’t know why the people who put the flags up don’t take them down for Christmas so the lights can go up. They can put them up afterwards if they want.
“It’s a shame we’ll have no lights up.”
In a statement, Peter Osborne, KCC’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “The claim that Harrietsham Parish Council will face significant extra costs is simply wrong. The contractor they have already hired to install the Christmas lights can remove any obstructing flags as part of the same job – no additional significant expense should be expected.
“We fully support communities coming together to celebrate Christmas with festive lights – it’s a valued tradition that brings people together. But safety must come first. Flags on streetlight columns pose a risk during installation, so they must be removed to ensure the lights go up safely and can be enjoyed by everyone.”
Harrietsham Parish Council has been contacted by The Independent for comment.
