Royal Borough contractors declining to remove flags over abuse, meeting told

A contractor has ‘declined’ to remove St George’s and Union flags in the Royal Borough after workers were subjected to verbal abuse, a councillor has said.

At a full council meeting on Tuesday, councillors were given an update on the borough’s policy regarding unauthorised flags put up across the borough as part of the Operation Raise the Colours campaign.

The campaign has seen St George’s and Union flags hoisted across the country, sparking a debate over patriotism and accusations of division created by the campaign.

Last week, a video was widely circulated on social media showing a man angrily confronting workers removing a flag from a lamppost in Cox Green.

The video has been condemned by the Royal Borough and reported to the police.

In a written question submitted to the council, Councillor Sally Coneron (Con, Ascot and Sunninghill) said: “Residents are frustrated by the administration’s indecision over the unauthorised St George’s flags and painted crosses on Maidenhead roundabouts.”

Cllr Coneron wanted to know when the council would state a clear position on the issue and give a timeline on either keeping or removing the flags.

Cllr Geoff Hill, cabinet member for highways and transport, said that ‘there is no indecisiveness’.

In his written response, Councillor Hill said the borough had been clear it ‘was important to balance people’s desire to celebrate our national flags with ensuring the safety of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians’.

He added the council was prioritising the removal of flags where there is a ‘safety risk to motorists’, or where they have been put up ‘to intimidate and stoke division’, such as outside the asylum seeker accommodation at the Holiday Inn.

Speaking at the Town Hall meeting, Councillor Hill (Ind, Oldfield) said: “The flags on roundabouts are dangerous because it’s not non-slip paint so if someone brakes on them, they can skid.

“The only difficulty is – it is rather unpleasant – but our contractor, in executing the business of the borough … has been threatened, quite serious threats as well.

“Every single flag that is flying or painted on the road or flying is illegal. It is flyposting.

“So right now, to be blunt, I don’t have a means of taking them down because our contractor has declined.”

He said that flags attached to lampposts pose a danger to traffic as they could fall onto a driver’s windshield or onto a motorcyclist.

Cllr Hill added: “The other flags that I asked to be taken down immediately are those that are deliberately provocative, I think everybody knows what I mean provocative.

“Those flags – either painted on the road or flying – that represent a danger to the public had to come down immediately, for very obvious reasons.”

The Royal Borough is working on taking the St George’s flags down under its usual maintenance programme.

But Councillor Hill added the safety of the council’s contractors remains a priority.