Three flags look set to be erected outside Grantham Hospital.

The hospital on Manthorpe Road has gained planning approval to install the 9m high flagpoles on grass by one of the main hospital car parks.

The move follows a government push to have flags flying outside hospital and other buildings as recently reported by Nub News.

The flags would be 2.74m by 1.37m,, with one displaying the NHS logo with blue letters on a white background, one would display the Union Flag and the third would display the NHS logo (with white letters on a blue background) set against a background of horizontal rainbow stripes.

The site of the proposed flags would be set back from Manthorpe Road by approximately 100m, and surrounded by the hospital buildings and campus to the north and west, with the hospital car park to the south and some houses fronting onto Manthorpe Road to the east.

A report by SKDC planning staff said three responses were received from the public objecting to the proposal from the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.

They believed the proposal would harm visual amenity and be out of keeping with the surrounding residential area, the manner of displaying the union flag is contrary to tradition and it would not be an appropriate use of NHS funds.

However, planning officials believed the flags would not be too prominent and the location proposed was appropriate and would not harm the character of the area.

They added the customary nature of flags is not a planning consideration and neither is how the hospital spends its money.

Their report concluded the scheme would not lead to any significant adverse impact to the amenity of the area, or jeopardise the safety of the public. Therefore, it met a range of local and national planning policies and should receive conditional approval.