Local authority flag enquiry
Case reference FOI2026/01835
Received 27 August 2026
Published 23 September 2026
Request
Under the Freedom of Information Act, please could you tell me the following:
1. How much has your local authority has spent removing unauthorised flags that have been erected on lamp posts and other street furniture in the year August 1st, 2025-August 1st, 2026 and if known, how many flags were removed.
If data is not available for this date range, can you give data for the last twelve months held and specify the date range.
2. How much has your local authority spent on erecting Union Jack or St Georges flags from August 1st, 2025- August 1st, 2026 and if known, how many.
If data is not available for this date range, can you give data for the last twelve months and specify the date range.
3. How many complaints has your local authority received about unauthorised flags being erected on lamp posts and other street furniture in the year August 1st, 2025-August 1st, 2026 and since August 1st, 2026.
If data is not available for this date range, can you give data for the last twelve months and specify the date range.
4. If accessible within the cost limit, please also provide the same data for questions 1, 2 and 3 for the prior year in the same format.
(For instance, if providing data in the format August 1st 2025 - August 1st 2026, please also include August 1st 2024 - August 1st 2025.)
5. If there is another local authority that might also hold the same data (for instance, a higher or lower tier local authority - a county council or a distract council), please name it.
Response
Thank you for your recent request under the Freedom of Information Act.
Please find the answers to your queries below:
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act to request the following information:
Under the Freedom of Information Act, please could you tell me the following:
1. How much has your local authority has spent removing unauthorised flags that have been erected on lamp posts and other street furniture in the year August 1st, 2025-August 1st, 2026 and if known, how many flags were removed.
If data is not available for this date range, can you give data for the last twelve months held and specify the date range.
I can confirm that Guildford Borough Council does not have a policy of removing Union Jack or British flags from council owned housing land.
We are required to change the flags on our council owned buildings at four sites (Millmead House, Guildford Castle, the Guildhall (on the High Street) and Stoke Park Nursery) at various times throughout the year. However, it is the responsibility of council staff within the relevant team to ensure the flags are changed on schedule and this is considered a core function of their specific role and is carried out as part of their day job, during their normal working hours. There is therefore not a specific ‘cost’ or ‘spend’ as part of the flag changing process. There may be rare occasions when staff need to change flags out of hours on the weekend, in which case an overtime rate may be payable, but this is anticipated to be needed rarely and no overtime has been paid for carrying out this specific function out of hours to date.
Please note that street furniture including but not exclusive to lampposts, traffic lights, bollards, roundabouts etc are the responsibility of Surrey County Council as the Highways Authority and therefore Guildford Borough Council is not involved in the removal of any items from these structures.
2. How much has your local authority spent on erecting Union Jack or St Georges flags from August 1st, 2025- August 1st, 2026 and if known, how many.
If data is not available for this date range, can you give data for the last twelve months and specify the date range.
Information not held.
3. How many complaints has your local authority received about unauthorised flags being erected on lamp posts and other street furniture in the year August 1st, 2025-August 1st, 2026 and since August 1st, 2026.
If data is not available for this date range, can you give data for the last twelve months and specify the date range.
Two in 2025. None in 2026.
4. If accessible within the cost limit, please also provide the same data for questions 1, 2 and 3 for the prior year in the same format.
Information regarding expenditure not held. No complaints received regarding flags in 2024.
(For instance, if providing data in the format August 1st 2025 - August 1st 2026, please also include August 1st 2024 - August 1st 2025.)
5. If there is another local authority that might also hold the same data (for instance, a higher or lower tier local authority - a county council or a distract council), please name it.
Surrey County Council.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Guildford Borough Council
Documents
This is Guildford Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.