Mansion House, York: Bid to allow more flags to be flown from historic building 'could be politicised'

The application would allow community and other flags including for York Pride, Trans awareness and the UNESCO City of Media Arts status to be flown from the Grade I-listed building.

York Council’s application stated the flags would directly relate to the city or its residents and all requests would need to be approved by the authority’s political group leaders.

But five objections have been lodged against the plans, with some claiming the choice over which causes and occasions to mark would be arbitrary and made behind closed doors. The application is set to go before the council’s Planning Committee B on Thursday, August 15.

It seeks to get advertisement consent to expand the types of flags which can currently be flown beyond those which do not already require express legal consent. Flags which can currently be flown from Mansion House without planning consent include any country’s national flag.

The flag of international organisations the UK is a member of such as the UN or the Commonwealth can also be flown along with those of the country’s armed forces. Flags representing any UK city, district, town, borough or island and historic counties including the Ridings of Yorkshire are also allowed along with those of St Patrick and St David.

The Rainbow and NHS flags, those of sports clubs and ones representing the person or organisation in the building they are on can be flown. subject to size and location requirements.

Recent examples of flags flown from Mansion House include the Yorkshire Flag for Yorkshire Day and the Ukranian flag as a gesture of solidarity following Russia’s invasion in 2022. The council has approved four requests to fly flags on specific days of the year from Mansion House.

Although some flags do not currently require legal consent, all requests have to be agreed by the council’s political group leaders and the lord mayor. This arrangement is set to remain in place if the council’s application is approved.

All requests to fly flags would be submitted to the council in writing and include reasons why the request has been made and drawings of them. The council’s application stated that all flags are and would generally be flown either on the day or for no more than a week.

The application stated: “The Mansion House flag pole was installed in 1868 and has been used to fly national, international and community flags since that date. It is the principle flagpole of the City of York Council.”

But objectors claimed it would open the door to politicised decisions about which flags should and should not be flown.

Gwen Swinburn said it would result in the city’s principal flagpole being used as a political pawn.

She said: “Behind closed doors decisions for as yet unknown flags mean that conflicts will inevitably occur, with no prioritisation, certain flags will likely be put up and others refused. After all I’m sure there could be a local argument for almost any flag.”

Further objections called for the flags flown to be restricted to just the Union flag and military ensigns while others raised concerns about the cost of the decision-making process.