Leicestershire County Council

Heritage · drafted 2026-07-02 · accepted · 4 finding(s)

← council-level findings on this theme

24 Jun 2025The new flag protocol was called in by the Overview & Scrutiny Commission; at its meeting on 24 June 2025 the Commission resolved, on a motion moved by Mrs Taylor and seconded by Mr Poland, by 7 votes to 6, to ask Cabinet to reconsider parts of the 12 June decision, citing lack of staff consultation and a lack of clarity on delegated flag decisions. [1][2][3]

3 Jul 2025At a special meeting on 3 July 2025 Cabinet reconsidered the call-in and, other than clarifying that the Union Flag defaults on the Quadrangle pole when no designated-day flag is flying (other flags there restricted to exceptional national/international events determined by the Chief Executive with the Leader), confirmed that the 12 June 2025 decision to introduce the restrictive Protocol for Flying Flags at County Hall stands in all other respects -- i.e. the restrictive protocol was reaffirmed and adopted. [4][5][6]

Leicestershire County Council's Cabinet, meeting 12 June 2025, resolved (Key Decision) to revoke the flag-flying protocol previously agreed by all political Group Leaders and adopt a new protocol restricting the two front County Hall flagpoles to the Union Flag and County Flag, the third front pole to the St George's flag or the Lord Lieutenant's flag, and delegating decisions on all other flag requests (community/celebration events) to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader. [7][8]

Council staff network representatives told the Scrutiny Commission call-in hearing (24 June 2025) that under the new protocol flags would no longer be used unless agreed by the Leader, citing the Disability Pride Month flag -- recently acquired by the Council -- as an example of a flag that would no longer be routinely flown. [9]

References (9)
  1. Minutes, 24 June 2025 “It was moved by Mrs Tayor and seconded by Mr Poland that:”
  2. Minutes, 24 June 2025 “The Motion was put and carried, 7 Members voting for the motion, and 6 members voting against.”
  3. Minutes, 24 June 2025 “That the Cabinet be asked to reconsider its decision regarding the adoption of a new Protocol for Flying Flags at County Hall taken at its meeting held on 12 June 2025”
  4. Minutes “the decision of the Cabinet at its meeting on 12 th June 2025 to introduce a new Protocol for Flying Flags at County Hall stands”
  5. Minutes, 3 July 2025 “The Union Flag will be flown from this flag pole at all times when another specific flag is not being flown.”
  6. Minutes, 3 July 2025 “The flying of other specific flags from the fourth flag pole will be restricted to a recognition of exceptional national or international events which may arise”
  7. Decisions “the Union Flag and the County Flag to fly permanently from two of the three poles at the front of County Hall”
  8. Decisions “That the current flag flying protocol agreed by the political Group Leaders in the last council term be revoked”
  9. Minutes “Considering the flags will now not be used unless agreed by the Leader - for example, the Disability Pride Month flag which has not long been acquired”