A suggested competition to design a Fenland Flag to cover the whole of the Fens has mixed reviews from councillors

Fenland District Council is working with the Flag Institute to decide whether or not to hold a public consultation on a flag for the Fens.

The subject was discussed at this month’s meeting of the council’s culture, arts, and heritage committee where there were mixed views on whether such an emblem was needed at all.

It follows on from a full council meeting in December when a motion was brought by Wisbech Cllr Dal Roy calling for Fenland to adopt a Flag of the Fens designed and promoted by Ely-based James Bowman.

Cllr Roy’s motion failed to fly with members and after a 20-minute discussion it was withdrawn.

At that meeting councillors described Mr Bowman’s flag as a “poor imitation of the Scottish flag”, and many also said there had been no call from residents for a Fenland flag.

It was also pointed out that Fenland District Council did have its own flag with the council crest on it.

However, at this month’s cultural committee meeting chair Cllr Elisabeth Sennitt-Clough introduced the subject as an agenda item citing debate on social media for her decision to have the issues discussed again.

She said she has been working with the Flag Institute since the December meeting and said the Fenland council flag was consider a banner and would not be able to represent the area.

Cllr Sennitt-Clough also pointed out that Mr Bowman’s flag was not registered with the Flag Institute either.

She said the institute advised that if a decision was made to have a flag for the region that could be registered then maximum public participation was needed and she suggested that a competition would be a good way of achieving that.

Cllr Sennitt-Clough said the council would have to work with the institute to ensure it was done properly.

The idea of a competition to design a flag, which would not just represent our district but the whole of the Fens area, which stretches into Lincolnshire, captured the imagination of March Cllrs Paul Hicks and Mark Purser.

Cllr Hicks said the subject had been raised by people when he was “up town” and that they wanted a flag.

Cllr Purser agreed and said it would be nice to have a flag to give the area a “regional identity”.

He said: “Personally I am proud to be a Fenman, and I think it is a really nice idea.”

He went on to list things that could be incorporated into a design that would reflect the Fens including having a Fen Tiger on it. Mr Bowman’s has a tiger at its centre, but Cllr Purser said: “To my mind that design looks just like the sign outside the Red Lion pub in town.”

He also pointed out that because the Fens was drained by the Dutch the area’s motto was in Dutch and not in Latin.

Cllr Dr Haq Nawaz agreed that if a flag was wanted then it should go out to public consultation. He also asked what area it would cover, and who would take ownership of it, particularly in view of the upcoming changes in local government, that is likely to see Fenland District Council abolished.

Cllr Sennitt-Clough explained that any changes in local government would not have an impact on a Fenland flag as it would not be tied to any particular council but would cover the whole region.

However, Cllr Steve Count took a different stance. He said: “Not to be a fly in the ointment, but I don’t have much time for this.”

He said he could be proud of Fenland without the need for a flag and said such emblems can be divisive.

He was also not a fan of having a Fen tiger on any flag because he said it was actually a derogatory term used by the Dutch trying to drain the Fens for the locals.

The cost was another bone of contention for Cllr Count who said he would find it difficult to tell people their council taxes had been spent on a flag.

Cllr Sam Hoy agreed with Cllr Count and said she has never had anyone ask her for a flag.

“When I am out and about in Wisbech the top three concerns people have is the Cashino building, crime and street drinking, I have never heard anyone mention a flag,” she said.

Both Cllr Hoy and Cllr Count said they would not lose any sleep over having a flag if that’s what people wanted, but said they had to speak up.

Cllr Count added: “The value is in the eye of the beholder and it doesn’t have much value for me.”

It was agreed that a public consultation should be held before any decision was made to hold a design competition so it was agreed to “park” the matter and Cllr Sennitt-Clough would go back to the Flag Institute for more guidance on what was needed.

In the meantime on Wednesday South Holland District Council – which covers part of the neighbouring Lincolnshire Fens – held a flag raising ceremony for Mr Bowman’s Flag of the Fens.

Posting to the council’s Facebook page the council said it was proud to raise the Fenland Flag to celebrate the region’s rich heritage and strong community spirit.

The post praised the flag’s design for reflecting the region’s identity and said it was “deeply rooted in local history”.

It continued: “The symbol of the Fens is the Fen Tiger, a name that originates from the fierce resistance of the local population to the drainage schemes of the 17th century.

“Now that fierce community resistance is aimed at the mass of proposed solar farms and pylons, so the Fens Tiger tradition continues into the 21st century, working across county borders. Even today, ‘Fen Tiger’ remains a proud nickname for people from the Fens, with many businesses and associations using the term and tiger imagery in their branding.”