Row over flying Pride flag outside Wiltshire Council HQ

The council had to seek permission to fly the flag outside County Hall in Trowbridge.

While under national rules Pride flags are permitted without planning permission, the Progress Pride flag - which adds a chevron to the traditional rainbow flag to explicitly represent trans people, queer people of colour, and those affected by HIV/AIDS - requires advertising consent.

In June, council planners considered two applications - one to fly the flag outside its northern hub at Monkton Park in Chippenham, which was granted by officers under delegated powers, and a second to fly the flag outside County Hall, which was to be determined by councillors.

The council received significant feedback on the County Hall application, with 369 objections filed and 163 submissions of support.

Among the objectors was high-profile women's rights campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen, who last summer took the council to task over single-sex spaces for women, objecting to mixed-sex toilets and changing facilities in council buildings including leisure centres.

She said the "Progress Pride flag is widely understood to represent a specific political and ideological movement, including positions on gender identity and related social policy issues that remain matters of active public debate.

"Many residents do not support these views and do not feel represented by this symbolism," said the campaigner.

"It is therefore inappropriate for the council to give the appearance of institutional endorsement through the repeated display of this flag on public buildings."

Tanya Maidment, who said the council should remain politically neutral and voiced concerns that permission would set a precedent for "future requests from other campaign or identity-based organisations."

Writing in favour of the application, Wiltshire Councillor Liz Alstrom (Liberal Democrat) said the council had a "Public Sector Equality Duty to foster good relations and advance equality of opportunity between people who share protected characteristics and those who do not."

She reminded council colleagues that "the Local Government Association is clear that promoting equality and valuing diversity are fundamental to building cohesive communities, fostering a shared sense of belonging and stronger relationships between different groups."

And at a recent meeting of the council's Western Area Planning Committee, members granted the council permission to fly the 8.5 ft wide flag for a maximum of five days a year for a period of five years.

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The application was supported by local member and committee chairman Cllr Stewart Palmén (Liberal Democrat) who said there were "very limited material considerations" that applied for advertising consent.

Kellie-Jay Keen and Tanya Maidment spoke in objection to the application, while Liz Alstrom and Phoenix Stewart, who is community engagement manager for Swindon & Wiltshire Pride, spoke in support.

Trowbridge Town Council offered "no objection".

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