New Government Guidance on Flying the Union Flag
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport has published new guidance for the flying of flags, which will see the Union flag flown on UK Government buildings all year round, and reduce red tape surrounding several other flag flying protocols.
As the UK's trusted experts in flag and flagpole solutions, we're here to help you understand what these new regulations mean for you. Discover more about the current rules for flying the Union flag and how the changes coming into effect this summer will affect your flags and flagpoles.
Government Buildings
The new guidance will ask for the Union flag to be flown on UK Government buildings every day. Currently only required on designated days, the government is calling on local authorities and other local organisations to fly the Union flag on a daily basis as an emblem of national pride and a symbol of liberty, unity, and freedom.
Under new regulations, UK Government building flagpoles should not remain empty. The default should be flying the Union flag, ensuring 'superior position' guidelines are also maintained.
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Dual Flagging
From June 2021, changes to the advertisement consent regulations in England will allow for two flags, including at least one national flag, to be flown from the same flagpole. Cutting the red-tape surrounding dual-flagging will facilitate organisations to highlight their local identity as well as their national identity.
The new guidelines confirm that the Union flag should always fly on top, but welcomes people to also fly county flags and national flags on non-designated days.
All our flags arrive ready-to-fly. Choose from 195+ countries and 27 English counties.
Deemed Consent and Permission
Following the UK's departure from the European Union, regulations from 2007 which allowed public buildings to fly the EU flag without the need for planning permission have been removed. It is understood the EU flag may now need express advertisement consent similar to other corporate or advertising flags.
Instead, new 'deemed consent' will be granted for NHS flags, allowing them to be flown alongside the Union flag without the need for planning permission.
Explore our range of custom flags and learn more about planning permission for flagpoles.
