The Parish Council are aware of the feelings of a number of residents regarding the appearance of a number of flags flown on lampposts in the village. As the flags are on highways structures then this is a Durham County Council Highways matter. The County Council has made a formal statement about the flags on lighting columns previously. Below is the response from Durham County
Thank you for your recent email regarding the number of flags currently displayed on lighting columns across County Durham, and particularly your area.
We appreciate your concerns and confirm that the Council is aware of the flags that have recently appeared on our street lighting infrastructure. In response to this, we have adopted a risk-based approach to address the matter in a practical and proportionate way.
Our immediate priority is the safety of all highway users. Flags that are found to be loose or poorly secured, obstruct visibility of drivers and pedestrians, which pose a risk to road safety, will be removed as a matter of urgency.
Flags that do not present an immediate hazard — for example, those that are securely fastened and do not impede visibility or access — will be addressed as part of our routine maintenance programme for lighting columns.
We are unable to address every instance at once. By focusing first on those flags that pose the greatest risk, we are able to make the most effective use of available staff whilst ensuring public safety.