Oxfordshire court case over unauthorised flags continues
Council seeks permanent injunction as questions raised about costs
The costs of a court battle over “unauthorised flags” in Oxfordshire should be paid by Raise the Colours members, the local authority is set to argue.
Today, Thursday, July 9, a High Court hearing is due to be held where Oxfordshire County Council will attempt to make an injunction against the placement of flags on or near public highways permanent.
This comes after a win for the county over named members of the Raise the Colours group on Tuesday, June 23.
They were also ordered to cease harassment of council members and obstruction or harassment of employees or contractors involved in removing the flags.
The council has described incidents where its teams, contractors and residents have faced confrontation or harassment when items are removed, the ‘naming and shaming’ of them online and “abusive emails”.
In a statement, it said: “This activity has created clear road safety and public safety risks and caused distress in local communities.”
Questions had been raised about the financial implications of the flag removals and subsequent High Court battle.
County and West Oxfordshire councillor Liam Walker (Conservative) said: “It’s staggering that Oxfordshire County Council has now spent £79,790.21 removing flags from lampposts across the county.
“That’s before you even add the legal costs of the recent High Court action to prevent more flags being put up.
“I’ve consistently warned about the blank cheque the council appears to have written for this work.
“At a time when residents are reporting potholes that remain unfixed for months, road signs are disappearing behind overgrown trees and hedges, and highways maintenance is under real pressure, this simply doesn’t feel like the right priority.
“Nobody disputes that the law should be upheld, but taxpayers also deserve to know whether nearly £80,000, with further legal costs still to come, represents value for money.”
County councillor Hao Du (Reform) added: “It is ludicrous that Oxfordshire County Council continues to treat flying the Union Jack or the flag of St George as potential harassment or something to be offended by.
“Framing the display of our own national flags in that way is neither healthy nor helpful — and it creates the very division the council claims to be fighting.
“Nobody should be threatening council staff, and that is rightly dealt with under existing law.
“But pursuing a High Court injunction over flags, and committing council officers, lawyers and public money to policing where a flag may or may not be flown, is an egregious waste of resources at a time when residents across Oxfordshire can’t get a pothole fixed or a service need answered.
“Most people putting up a flag are not extremists, the World Cup is on!
“They are ordinary people proud of their country and heritage, and they should be treated as such.”
A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council said: ” The injunction does not relate to people who wish to fly flags on their own private property.
“Oxfordshire County Council proudly flies the Union Flag and St George’s flag at County Hall and fully support the right of residents to display their own flags.”
They added that the matter was listed by the court is “standard court procedure, and the hearing is listed for one hour”.
The council will “await further determination of the matter by the court”.