Oxfordshire County Council spends over £16,000 removing flags from lamp posts
The authority has received more than 200 complaints about the flags.
Oxfordshire County Council has spent more than £16,000 removing flags attached to streetlights following over 200 complaints submitted through FixMyStreet.
Flags, including the St George’s Cross and Union Jack, have appeared across the country since last summer, sparking debate about whether public money should be spent on their removal.
Following a freedom of information request, the county council revealed that as of 15th January, it had spent £16,585 removing 396 flags from streetlights in response to 223 complaints.
While some view the flags as expressions of patriotism, others have argued they intimidate and clutter public property.
Green councillor Ian Middleton, who represents Kidlington East, criticised the display of flags on public infrastructure, saying:
“If individuals and businesses want to display national flags on their own property, that is of course their own affair. But public property is not there to be cluttered up as part of a campaign of misguided nationalism that I think most people find distasteful and others find frightening and intimidatory.”
Middleton raised concerns about the strain flags could place on infrastructure and the safety risks posed to those attaching or removing them.
Reform UK councillor Hao Du has defended the display of national flags and criticised the money spent on removing them.
“I think it’s deeply unfortunate that some politicians have chosen to politicise what should be an entirely apolitical issue, manufacturing a sense of threat or fear where none should exist,” Du said.
He added: “These are our national flags. They represent shared history and identity and should be respected and cherished, not treated as a threat or taboo.”
Conservative councillor Liam Walker also raised concerns about the council’s priorities, commenting:
“The council seems remarkably quick to act on flag reports via FixMyStreet, yet residents are still waiting months for dangerous potholes to be dealt with.
“It raises the question: if we put flags in potholes, would they get fixed any quicker?”
The county council said flags have been removed during routine maintenance or where they pose an immediate risk.
A spokesperson said: “Placing flags or painting them on or near highways can create serious safety hazards, including reduced visibility for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, and increased risk of distraction.
“To keep everyone safe, our teams have been removing flags and other unauthorised attachments from streetlights during routine maintenance or where they pose an immediate risk.
“Each case is assessed based on the level of risk, with priority given to those that pose an immediate risk. Our overarching priority is to keep our roads and public spaces safe for everyone.”
It added that faded paint of flags left on roundabouts had not been cleared as it poses no safety risk.