Reappearance of Union flag on council buildings sparks row in Causeway Coast and Glens

Following a decision ratified at a meeting on Tuesday evening, the flag will be flown at seven main council buildings for 365 days a year – including some sites where the flag has not been flown for several years.

As a result of the new policy being implemented, the flag will be a permanent fixture at the council’s Cloonavin headquarters, Riada House and the town halls in Coleraine, Ballymoney and Portrush.

it will also be flown at the council office in Limavady and at the Roe Valley Arts Centre.

A survey of the public and council staff found “strong division of opinion” on the issue, however, while one third of respondents said the flag should never by flown, 51% said it should fly all year round.

The motion was brought by DUP councillor Aaron Callan.

He said that although there are many important issues to be dealt with, including the cost of living crisis and the NI Protocol, other matters can still be progressed.

"This motion was brought on 1 June, 2021. The decision last night (Tuesday) was an accumulation of abiding by legal processes, so the cost of living crisis was not even a thing when this motion was [originally] brought forward.

"We actually had legacy arrangements that came from our four previous councils, and we felt it was appropriate that there should be a unified policy that would apply right across the whole council area in the flying of the Union flag."

Speaking to BBC Radio’s Talkback programme, Cllr Callan said: "We followed the process clearly. There was a legal opinion sought, there was an EqIA (equality impact) process, and in that process, 51% of the public supported the policy being put forward. With any new policy there may be a section of people who may not feel comfortable with that policy.”

Sinn Fein councillor Kathleen McGurk said: “This, once again, highlights the DUP’s priorities. We are in the midst of a cost of living crisis, a health crisis, a boycott at Stormont. Many people in the public, as well as ourselves, are just dismayed that we are seeing motions like this coming through.

"The sensible position, which is the position that we proposed, was to maintain the current policy, which… was agreed by the new council in July of 2015.”