A SHOPKEEPER is celebrating after he won a two-year planning battle to fly the Yorkshire flag outside his store.

National planning officials have granted the Ken Warne supermarket, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, permission to fly a flag featuring the traditional white rose.

Director Peter Warne said he wanted to fly the flag to mark the store's commitment to local produce.

Richmondshire District Council initially rejected the planning application.

Officers said that while national flags were allowed, planning regulations forbade the Yorkshire flag.

However, the store appealed to the Government planning inspectorate following advice from a consultant. The planning inspectorate agreed the store could fly the flag from a pole at first-floor level.

Mr Warne said he was delighted with the outcome: "We are proud of being a retailer specialising in the sale of Yorkshire and local produce, and we wanted to demonstrate this by flying the county flag.

"It seemed so ridiculous that we could fly national flags like the Union Jack or St George's red cross without planning permission, yet not a county flag, that we decided to challenge it."

Peter Featherstone, head of development control at Richmondshire District Council, said: "We came to a view about the proposal and it was rejected.

"Mr Warne exercised his right to appeal and the planning inspectorate found that it was acceptable."

The planning inspector said the Yorkshire flag would be in scale with the building, would not harm it or obstruct any of its architectural features, and would preserve the character and appearance of the surrounding conservation area.

Mr Warne is now appealing for more Yorkshire producers to come forward and use his shop to promote their products.

The shop already stocks Swaledale Cheese, meat from farmers in the Yorkshire Dales and a range from the Yorkshire Soup Company.

The store has been in the town for 60 years.

Last year, the shop was one of four finalists in the Independent Community Retailer of the Year Award, part of the national Retail Industry Awards.