Union flags to hang again on Street High Street for Remembrance

Street Parish Council says Union Flag banners will return to lampposts on Street High Street after an extraordinary meeting on October 6. The council stated it has listened to residents and respects the strength of feeling expressed. The banners will be displayed for the Remembrance Parade and remain in place until festive lights are installed, a task scheduled for completion by mid-November 2026.

The decision follows the removal of the banners last month, which drew criticism from some residents. At a full council meeting on September 15, the council resolved to swap the Union Flag banners for Shoemakers Museum flags in support of the museum. The published minutes record no reason for that decision.

An online petition then called on the council to put the banners back on Street High Street as soon as reasonably practicable and keep them displayed through the Remembrance period. Liberal Democrat parish councillor Bryan Knickerbocker, who was not present at the September 15 meeting, issued an open letter on Facebook stating his colleagues had got it wrong. He wrote that there is absolutely nothing wrong with a council displaying our country's flag on our High Street, and added that taking the banners down risked creating more division, not less.

In a statement, the parish council said it recognises the strength of feeling expressed by residents about the recent changes to the banners and regrets that the changes caused upset and division within the community. The council also noted that historically the High Street has marked Remembrance through the display of poppies rather than Union Flag banners, and that it has not traditionally displayed them for the Battle of Britain or the Remembrance Parade. The Union Flag banners are among several sets owned by the council and used in the High Street over many years.

Following the extraordinary meeting on October 6, the council decided to replace the current banners with Union Flag banners for the Remembrance period. The council said it listened to residents and considered the views expressed before reaching that decision. The banners will remain in place for the Remembrance Parade and until the festive lights are installed, which is due to be completed by mid-November 2026.

The council also said it will develop a banner and flag policy to provide greater clarity for future decisions and consider local heritage and national commemorations. A spokesperson said the council has listened and respects the strength of feeling expressed. Remembrance Sunday falls on November 8, and the September 15 minutes confirm the parade will be held on that date.