A ROW has broken out again in a Meirionnydd town over the flying of a specially designed flag on its promenade.

In 2012, Tywyn was at the centre of a dispute over the use of a blue and yellow flag, featuring a raven and a dolphin, after it was flown on the town’s promenade without permission.

Supporters claim the banner, designed by Tywyn councillor Mike Stevens’ daughter, Jenny, on behalf of the Tywyn Chamber of Trade and Commerce, gives the town an identity, but others say it is not representative.

After the initial furore, the debate died down and the flag has been fluttering on Tywyn’s seafront to this day.

However, a debate is now raging as to whether the flag should be replaced with a ‘Meirionnydd Flag’, which is flown across the region.

At a Tywyn Town Council meeting, Cllr Marisa O’Hara raised the motion, on behalf of the absent Cllr Aled Lewis, to fly the Meirionnydd emblem on the promenade.

Although there was no mention of the chamber of trade’s flag on the agenda, the debate soon centred on the controversial banner and whether the Meirionnydd flag would replace it.

Cllr Quentin Deakin said: “The motion needs more details. Are we to fly the flag instead of another one?”

Cllr O’Hara said there were two flags on the promenade – the CTC flag and the Welsh Flag – and they would never take down the Ddraig Goch.

Cllr Deakin replied: “I would not support that at all, the CTC flag represents Tywyn, it has dolphins and ravens, it’s better for us. It’s a great flag.”

Gwynedd councillor Mike Stevens, who also represents the CTC, agreed with his fellow councillor.

“There are plenty of spare poles, why are we pushing the CTC one down because one or two people don’t like it?”

Cllr Deakin added: “I have no problem with the Meirionnydd Flag, it can sit alongside the others.”

At this point Cllr O’Hara argued that there are bylaws and “people just can’t put up flags willy-nilly”.

Cllr Stevens retorted that the Meirionnydd Flag was “never officially adopted” and so the CTC flag had just as much right to be there.

He also pointed out that the dancing goats which feature on the Meirionnydd Flag are more closely associated with Dolgellau as the sports teams uses them as part of its logo.

The Gwynedd councillor then went on to suggest that the town council buy their own flag pole and not use the ones belonging to the CTC.

There was then a debate between the clerk and Cllr Stevens about who owned the flag poles, the CTC or Tywyn Town Council, as they both claim to insure the assets.

Tywyn council chair Nancy Clarke also mentioned that a specific Tywyn symbol was designed by local schoolchildren in 2015 but was “never used as a flag, only as car stickers”.

Eventually the motion was passed by town councillors but only under the specific wording that the Meirionnydd Flag would be flown on the seafront, not flown in lieu of another flag.

At the time of going to print, only the Welsh flag and the blue flag were flying on the promenade in Tywyn.