West Norfolk Council officers decided the emblem could be displayed, without referring the matter to elected members.

It prompted a formal complaint from Pallavi Devulapalli, an independent councillor, as well as a women's rights group.

They argue the flag represents an endorsement of gender ideology, the idea that the gender someone identifies as should take priority over their biological sex.

They say councils should stay neutral on this heavily-contested issue, pointing out it has huge implications on women's rights.

In the wake of the row and the complaints, a council spokesman said: "Planning permission has been granted, no further decisions have been made.”

Asked whether this meant a further decision might be made on the matter, he replied: "Yes."

Dr Devulapalli welcomed the news.

"That's the best news I've heard today," she said. "They should opt to fly the Pride flag instead.

West Norfolk councillor Pallavi Devulapalli (Image: Supplied)

"I would like an answer to my questions of whether due process was followed to make this decision and why this political decision was taken by officers rather than being referred to councillors.

"Why did they think it was OK to waste taxpayers' money on awarding planning permission to fly a flag belonging to a particular ideology on council buildings when there are so many other pressing matters to look into."

The Progress flag is a redesign of the original rainbow Pride flag, featuring the addition of colours to represent transgender, intersex, people of colour and those affected by HIV/AIDS as part of the wider LGBTQ+ community.

The Progress Pride flag (Image: West Norfolk council)

It is the incorporation of the pink, blue and white of the transgender flag which has made it such a controversial symbol when flown from public bodies.

Dr Devulapalli said in her complaint email to the council's chief executive Kate Blakemore: "Trans ideology is not a harmless 'inclusive' ideology as its proponents would have you believe.

"It seeks to confer superior rights to one group of people with a protected characteristic (trans identified men)  over those of another (women)."

Dr Devulapalli, who is a GP, said it had done "very real harm" to children and young people who expressed confusion or distress about their gender.

"In addition, it has resulted in men who self-identify as women being allowed into women’s refuges, prisons and changing rooms causing immense harm to the safety, privacy and dignity of these women," she added.

Kate Blakemore, the new chief executive of West Norfolk Council (Image: East Suffolk Council)

She said flying the flag would go against the council's duty to be impartial in political matters and leave it open to legal challenge. 

"Officers arguably acted outwith their remit by making a decision on such a politically sensitive issue," she went on.  

"For all of these reasons, I do not want to see the Progress flag flown on taxpayer-funded buildings."

The Women's Rights Network Norfolk had also objected. Its spokeswomen Ermine Amies said: "Flying the ‘progress’ flag is not a neutral act.

"It signals institutional endorsement of an ideology that undermines and opposes women’s legal rights to single‑sex spaces, services, and sports."

The move was also criticised by the leader of the council's five-strong Reform group Julian Kirk, who said it was "pushing Pride down people's throats".

However, Jo Rust, another independent councillor, had spoken in support, saying: "Trans people are people. I have trans friends and their struggle and experiences deserve recognition."

The council agreed its own application for advertisement consent, which was drawn up in December by Charlotte Marriott, its interim corporate governance manager.

West Norfolk council's offices in King's Lynn (Image: Ian Burt)

A planning officer's report said doing so would not cause harm to the character of the area.

The approval granted permission for the flag to be flown during the local Pride weekend in August.

When asked about the decision after it was published last week, the authority said in a statement: “We fly a flag every year at King’s Court as a symbol of support for the King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Pride parade, which happens in August.

"Consent is required under national planning rules to fly our Pride Progress flag on the flagpole. We recently became aware of this and therefore sought to regularise our position.

"The application went through the usual planning process. The decision was made by a planning officer.”

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