Hamina city council delays decision on dismantling giant flagpole

The city board of Hamina, Finland, will review the decision to dismantle the city’s 100-metre flagpole after the chair called for broader discussion, Yle reports.

Titta Erkkilä (SDP), chair of Hamina’s city board, announced she would invoke the board’s right to reconsider a municipal committee’s decision to scrap the towering flagpole. The structure, erected roughly a decade ago, was slated for demolition and recycling as metal waste after a city development committee voted on Wednesday to remove it.

Erkkilä argued the matter warrants debate in the full city council. “This is such a major issue that a wider group should have the chance to discuss it,” she said. “The decision may not change, but this would give it stronger backing.”

A technical inspection in March revealed critical flaws in the flagpole’s protective coating. Sari Paljakka, Hamina’s technical director, told the committee that chunks of the deteriorating surface risked falling and injuring bystanders. The problem stems from an unusually high phosphorus content in the steel, which caused the zinc galvanisation to become excessively thick and brittle. Over time, the brittle layer has cracked, peeling away paint and exposing the metal.

Repairs would cost an estimated €500,000, while dismantling and recycling the structure is priced at around €120,000.