'Why can't we fly our flag?'

9:10am Wednesday 23rd July 2008

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A SUCCESS for Harpenden Town Council has this week renewed an ongoing dispute with St Albans District Council.

For the second year running the town council has received a prestigious Green Flag Award for Harpenden Common, one of only five town councils in England and Wales to receive such an award.

But it is also the only council to be refused planning permission to fly the celebratory flag, which is shorter than a lamppost.

A planning committee at St Albans District Council last year rejected an application to proudly display the flag at the entrance of Baa Lambs car park, opposite the Silver Cup pub on the grounds it would make a negative impact on the surroundings.

But this year John Bagshaw, clerk to Harpenden Town Council, has vowed it will protest against the decision for a second time.

He said: “We still can’t fly the flag where we want to, it’s disappointing. We would have hoped our partners at the district council would have been more understanding. We want to fly it by the car park so we can be proud of it and give it a high profile.

“We are putting up some new information boards at the car park because we recognise it’s one of the first places people arrive at, so it would be fitting.

“They want us to put it by the trees in Southdown Ponds so it is less conspicuous. But we will be challenging that and hopefully persuading them that our location is appropriate.”

The awards are handed out by the Civic Trust to the best quality parks and spaces in England and Wales, with each winner having to re-apply for the status every year.

Steve Rackett, spokesman for the Civic Trust, said: “We have never heard of another case like this. We don’t know anywhere that has been refused permission for a flag pole. We don’t usually find that this is a problem.

“We aboslutely understand that Harpenden Town Council want to fly the flag and we hope it is still pleased about the great achievement and do find somewhere to fly it.”

St Albans District Council is also celebrating success, with both Clarence Park and Sopwell Nunnery ruins in St Albans receiving renewed awards and Rothamsted Park in Harpenden celebrating a victory for the first time.

St Albans parks management committee will discuss applying for permission to fly a flag in Rothamsted Park at its next meeting in September, but members have not decided where they hope to fly it.

Davina Mansell, spokeswoman for St Albans District Council, said: “Following the success of gaining a green flag for Rothamsted Park, St Albans District Council will be applying for planning permission for a flag pole.

“St Albans District Council flies a green flag on an existing pole at Clarence Park, but felt a flag pole would not be in keeping with the landscape environment at Sopwell Nunnery green space.”

St Albans District Council did not want to comment on any future planning applications.

Both councils will collect their awards at a national ceremony in Liverpool tomorrow.