EU flag must be removed from outside former MEP's house, council orders

Catherine Bearder received a letter from the council telling her to take down the flag

A former MEP has said she is "astonished" a city council told her to remove a European flag from outside her home.

Catherine Bearder has proudly displayed the flag since Europe Day on 9 May at her property in Cowley, Oxford.

She told the BBC that Oxford City Council should be prioritising other matters over the policing of flags.

The council said the flag required planning consent following post-Brexit legislation.

Ms Bearder served as a Member of the European Parliament for South East England from 2009 until 2020 when the UK left the European Union (EU).

She said: "I'm astonished that Oxford City Council feels that it is a priority to police the flying of flags over the countless other responsibilities like tackling homelessness and providing community services.

"The Flag of Europe is proudly displayed on countless buildings and initiatives funded by the European Union and this lovely university city and international student body benefited enormously through our membership of the union, something I won't forget, and I'm proud to show my continued support for."

Which flags do not need consent?

Union Flags do not require consent, but European Flags apparently do

• Any country's national flag, civil ensign or civil air ensign

• The flag of the Commonwealth or the United Nations or any other international organisation of which the UK is a member

• A flag of any island, county, district, borough, burgh, parish, city, town or village within the UK

• The flag of the Black Country, East Anglia, Wessex, any Part of Lincolnshire, any Riding of Yorkshire or any historic county within the UK

• The flag of St David

• The flag of St Patrick

• The flag of any administrative area within any country outside the UK

• Any flag of His Majesty's forces

• The Armed Forces Day flag

Source: Gov.uk

The council said amendments to national legislation in 2021 made planning consent for certain flags a requirement.

"The flag was reported to the council who informed the resident that they needed to seek advertising consent as per national planning requirements," it said.

The government's list of flags that do not require consent used to include the the European flag, but it was removed from the list following Brexit.

According to the European Union website, the flag "symbolises both the European Union and, more broadly, the identity and unity of Europe".

Oxfordshire bucked the national trend in the EU referendum by voting to remain.

With a 70% turn out, 70% of people voted to stay in the EU.

The letter sent to Ms Bearder from the council, and seen by the BBC, said: "I am writing because Oxford City Council has received a query about the European flag being flown at the above property.

"The control of flying the flags is governed by the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007."

It added: "As such, I must ask that the flag be removed until such a time that advertisement consent is granted to fly it."

Ms Bearder was told to remove the flag "by no later than 27th May 2024".

She said she planned to replace it with the flag of Ukraine.

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