Newport's £1000 bill for flying its own flag

A Shropshire town council is having to fork out £400 of taxpayers' money to fly its symbolic flag due to it hanging above a road. A Shropshire town council is having to fork out £400 of taxpayers' money to fly its symbolic flag due to it hanging above a road. Telford & Wrekin Council said national laws meant it had to bill Newport Town Council for licensing and legal fees to have the flag — featuring the town's blue and gold Three Fish crest — hanging from its Guildhall offices in High Street. Town councillors agreed at a meeting last night to re-allocate funds to pay for the unexpected bill. Town council clerk Lee Jakeman informed members that planning permission was granted by planners at Telford & Wrekin Council on the condition they paid £400 to the authority's Highways Department. But Councillor Bob Unwin said: "Something seems naturally worrying about one part of the borough council getting us to cough up £400 to another department in the council just on conditions." Mr Jakeman added the cost of the planning application was about £80 while the flag and pole would cost about £500, bring the overall cost of the project to about £1,000. Telford & Wrekin Council today said regulations requ-ired flags that overhang roads to be licensed. Communicatins manager Nigel Newman said: "Any licence has costs associated with it and the council always seeks to keep these to a minimum."