Overview

• Crews will begin taking down Union and St George flags from street furniture, bridges and other public assets on Monday, 29 September, with remaining items stored by the authority.
• Residents have a short window this week to retrieve flags themselves, and any future displays on public land will require standard permissions.
• The council had previously left flags in place unless they posed a safety risk, and it says it is monitoring cases where displays may be used to intimidate or as hate-related incidents.
• Opposition leaders Tim Prosser of Reform Derby and Conservative Steve Hassall criticized the move, saying removals could heighten local tensions and distract from other priorities.
• Other areas report varied approaches, with York and Blackpool citing community safety concerns, Barnsley and Sheffield removing unauthorised items from public property, and the surge linked to the Operation Raise the Colours online campaign.