What a waste of money, the councils take ages to clear up Fly Tipping and Dog waste but are very quick to take down our national flags! Total Insanity.
THREE county councils in North Wales have revealed how much each spent on removing Union Jack or Welsh flags from public places.
In August and September last year, Union Jack flags were hung on lampposts and painted on roundabouts across the UK, as well as Welsh flags in Wales, as part of a movement known as Operation Raise the Colours.
Freedom of Information requests made to county councils in Denbighshire, Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey, and concerning the time period from August 1, 2025 to the present day, have now revealed the following:
Denbighshire
Denbighshire County Council said it has spent £1,460 on flag removals in that period.
A council spokesperson said a total of five hours, and £260, was spent on removing the flags from public places, at a cost of £52 per hour for the employee and vehicle.
There was also an additional traffic management cost, which was needed in order to remove the flags on the A525 Rhyl Road in Rhuddlan, which amounted to £1,200.
Approximately 25 flags were removed, all by the council’s own staff.
In early September, the Journal reported that a council workers were seen removing a Union Jack flag from a lamppost on Vale Road, Rhyl.
Jake Pownall, who shared photo and video footage of this, criticised the council’s “pathetic” decision to take the flag down.
He said: “The local councils should be proud to fly our flags. Tearing them down is the complete opposite of what we need in the country right now.”
In response to this, a council spokesperson said: “As per council policy, we routinely remove any unauthorised attachments from street furniture to ensure public safety to both road users and pedestrians.
“The council has a duty to safeguard road users and pedestrians, and unauthorised attachments on street furniture (such as lampposts and barriers etc) can present a risk to public safety, especially road users.
“For these reasons, the council does not allow any notices/banners to be placed on the highway or to be attached on the council’s street furniture without prior discussion and council approval.”
Conwy
Conwy County Borough Council said it has spent £2,400 on flag removals in that period.
It said it does not hold the information regarding how many flags were removed, and declined to share the names of any subcontractors it used to carry out this work on its behalf.
A Welsh flag and an anti-English message was daubed on a roundabout on Maesdu Road, Llandudno in August 2025.
North Wales Police made inquiries about the English flag being painted, while the council removed the graffiti, in what was described a “waste of public resources”.
“Unauthorised painting or graffiti to the road surface is illegal and will be removed,” a council spokesperson said.
“This vandalism costs public money to repair and will cause disruption to road users while we clean it up.”
North Wales Police chief inspector, Trystan Bevan, said: “Hate-related offences, including those that target communities or national identities, are taken extremely seriously and will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”
Anglesey
Isle of Anglesey County Council said it has spent £1,866.26 on flag removals in that period.
In that time, 124 flags were removed.
The council’s response added: “It was the authority’s contractor who carried out the works.”
In September, the Chronicle reported that the council instructed a contractor to remove “unauthorised flags and banners from highway property”.
The local authority said attaching items to highway property is “unlawful” and presents “significant safety risks”.
A council statement read: “The county council recognises that flags are often displayed as symbols of pride, heritage, and unity within our communities.
“However, attaching flags or any other items to highway property - including lamp posts, traffic signs, and barriers - is unlawful and poses significant safety risks to road users.
“Contrary to online speculation, recent works to remove unauthorised flags and banners from highway property, managed by the county council, were carried out by a local contractor under our instruction.
“To ensure public safety, the council operates a zero-tolerance policy on the unauthorised use of highway property for the display of flags or banners, regardless of their purpose.
“Allowing such items to remain would set a precedent and undermine our statutory duty to protect all road users.”
Gwynedd
Gwynedd Council said it has not removed any Union Jack or Welsh flags during this period.
A council statement added: “Consequently, it has not issued any work orders or incurred any costs in accordance with the request.”
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