Reform-run council BLOCKS village from putting up Christmas lights unless St George's flags removed from lampposts

A Reform-led council has said Union Jack and St George's flags must be taken down from lampposts before a village can display its Christmas lights.

Kent County Council told Harrietsham Parish Council that flags must be removed from street lights in the village in order for the festive lights to be hung up because they "pose a safety risk".

The parish council has said it may not be able to go ahead with installing the lights along the A20 in Harrietsham, near Maidstone, and could lose money it had already spent on the festive display.

It said in a statement on social media: "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.

"We feel it is important to make residents aware of the current position and the financial implications placed upon the Parish Council by the condition of the permit."

It added that it would be "disappointing" if the lights can't be installed but said it was "beyond the parish council's control".

However, Kent County Council has rubbished the parish council's claims that it would face any "additional significant expense".

Peter Osborne, cabinet member for highways and transport at the local authority, 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.

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"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."

In August, council leader Linden Kemkaran said the authority would not be removing any flags "put up unilaterally by residents".

She said: "I can confirm that Kent County Council is proudly flying the flags of Kent, England and the Union as it has done since I was elected as Leader on May 8, 2025.

"I can also confirm that my council will not be removing any of these flags put up unilaterally by residents of Kent."

Stuart Jeffrey, a Kent county councillor for the Green Party, described the situation as being "beyond ironic".

He claimed that the A20 had been "lined either side with these flags" and the council had been "very clear that they are fundamentally supportive".