Next week will see Orkney councillors view a report on the local authority’s flag-flying protocol.
The review is asking councillors to back a set of recommendations which say when an organisation which isn’t already part of the council’s flag-flying protocol asks the council to fly a flag at council buildings, a decision would be made by the chief executive’s office in consultation with the council leader, depute leader, and convener.
The organisation and flag would have to meet a set of criteria before being considered.
These include:
- being non-political
- having no commercial element
- there is no significant cost to the council
- and flying a flag doesn’t clash with another event already featured in the council’s flag-flying protocol
The review of the protocol began all the way back in June 2021 and followed to fly the rainbow flag to mark Orkney Pride, on June 26, 2021.
In 2021, this clashed with flying the Armed Forces Day flag, which is flown on the last week of June. A debate was held as to what should be done.
They decided to fly the Armed Force Day flag at the council offices and the pride flag at Kirkwall Town Hall.
Thirteen flags would feature in Orkney council’s new protocol
Now, a reviewed protocol will be debated by councillors at a meeting of the Policy and Resources committee on Tuesday next week.
The council has, in the past, received other requests to fly flags not part of its previous nine-year-old protocol.
Aside from Orkney Pride, this includes International Workers Memorial Day, Historic County Flag Day, and Merchant Navy Day.
The newly reviewed protocol includes 13 flags, including all those mentioned above, as well as the Commonwealth flag on Commonwealth day, the Orkney flag on St Magnus Day, and the Norwegian Flag on Norwegian Constitution Day.
The Union Jack would be flown on King Charles’s birthday and official birthday and on Remembrance Sunday. The saltire would be flown on St Andrew’s Day.
For Orkney Pride, the progress pride flag would be flown at the Kirkwall Town Hall.
Some are to be flown at both the council offices and at the town hall. Others will be flown at one or the other.
The report also notes that the Orkney flag is to be flown at the council offices when full council sits.
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