An official policy for flying flags at, and lighting up Pembrokeshire’s County Hall in order to avoid “the potential to cause controversy and create tensions between community groups,” is to be presented to full council.

At the April meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Policy & Pre-Decision Overview and Scrutiny Committee, members agreed – with one vote against – to recommend official guidance for the flying of flags and lighting up of County Hall is backed by full council at its May 9 meeting.

The call for official guidance had been made following a March request by Cllr Huw Murphy for the Haverfordwest home of Pembrokeshire County Council to fly the Falklands flag on June 14, to mark the islands’ “return of democratic rule following an illegal military occupation by Argentina” 40 years beforehand, in 1982.

At that meeting, members agreed to refer the matter to the committee, along with official guidance on lighting-up, through a cross-party group.

The final decision will be made by full council at its May meeting.

County Hall has previously been ‘lit up’ for a wide variety of reasons including Holocaust Memorial Day, Universal Children’s Day, International Women’s Day, in tribute to NHS workers, and to mark domestic abuse awareness month.