The council recognises the importance of celebrating our national identity, which we do appropriately by flying the St George flag year-round at the council, and celebrating key dates in our proud history, like VE Day.
However, we have heard from a range of residents, and politicians from different political parties, that the increase in ‘informal’ flag flying and other symbolism is unwelcome, making some residents feel intimidated or uncomfortable in certain areas. Some have also made clear their expectation that the council should remove paint from roundabouts just as it would remove graffiti. Some have raised concerns about safety. Others have asked us not to 'inflame' the situation by removing flags. As a council we need to take into account all these legitimate but differing views.
We know that the majority of residents would never want to cause any ill-will or upset in their communities, but we want to be clear that Thurrock Council cannot condone any behaviour that sets out to intimidate.
We are a borough that is richer for its diversity and our celebration of all of our communities, whatever their background. From the Windrush landing here to the Bata community that drew workers from all over the world, and the safe refuge offered to some of the victims of the war in Ukraine and the Srebrenica genocide, history shows Thurrock has always been a welcoming place. Any attempts to divide Thurrock will fail.
As a council, our powers are limited to public spaces, and the cost to the public purse of repairing roundabouts or removing flags and graffiti from public places is high. Therefore, we will prioritise complaints about things that are obviously offensive or pose an immediate risk to resident safety.
We do, however, ask anyone considering acts of vandalism to recognise that it is public money, paid for through local taxes, that will have to pay for any repairs, and take officers away from other important road repairs.
We hope local people understand the council's need to balance different views, and safety and cost considerations, as we navigate this difficult issue.