Green energy entrepreneur Dale Vince has said his decision to fly the Palestinian flag at Ecotricity’s Stroud headquarters was “always legal,” despite previous objections from Stroud District Council.
The dispute arose in July when planning officials told Mr Vince he needed permission to display the flag. He argued the council had “misinterpreted” regulations and challenged them to take the matter to court.
Writing on X, Mr Vince said: “Flying the flag of Palestine was always legal, despite what our local council told us – we challenged them to test their opinion in court and they refused, in the end they just stopped talking to us – waiting, I assume, for the UK to recognise Palestine so that the flag issue would go away. And so it has. But not the flag.”
His comments come after Sir Keir Starmer announced on Monday that the UK has formally recognised Palestine as a state.
Vince, who also chairs National League leaders Forest Green Rovers, has been flying the Palestinian flag at the team’s New Lawn stadium since 2022. LED pitch-side messages in support of Palestine have also been displayed. Stroud District Council confirmed no enforcement referrals have been made regarding the club’s flags or messages.
Stroud District Council has declined to provide a comment on the matter at this time.
