Painting flags on roundabouts costs taxpayers £1,000 each, council warns amid dangers
Painting flags on road markings could cost taxpayers £1,000 a time to remove, Rotherham Council has warned.
The issue was raised at a full council meeting on September 10, after reports of mini roundabouts across the borough being painted with red crosses to resemble the St George’s flag.
Councillor Dave Sheppard said there had been “evidence of people being distracted whilst looking at these markings and not paying due attention”, adding: “Whilst we should always give way to the right on roundabouts, we shouldn’t be giving way to the far right.”
Flags including the Union Jack and the St George’s Cross have been appearing in towns and cities across England since the summer.
While some residents see them as expressions of national pride, others have linked the displays to tensions around migration.
Councils have taken different approaches, with some removing flags from lamp-posts and street furniture, while others have allowed them to remain in place.
Responding, Councillor John Williams, cabinet member for transport, jobs and the local economy, said the practice posed a serious safety risk both to those painting the roads and to drivers.
“For the individual carrying out the behaviour, if someone’s venturing onto a large public highway to paint a roundabout, a junction or a road sign, they’re automatically putting themselves in quite serious danger of injury from a collision with a vehicle,” he said.
“And obviously there’s also the danger to road users themselves, from any distractions caused on the road or signage.”
He added: “The estimated cost for restoring a roundabout that’s had graffiti on it is around £1,000, which I think you’ll agree is a pretty significant cost.”
Coun Williams said roundabout repainting also created disruption, as smaller roundabouts did not have the space to put in a diversion lane to keep traffic moving.