I'm sure I read that it was a community funded project backed by the council.
Local LGBT business/charity trying to attract the pink pound isn't as interesting for the usual suspects to foment anger over though.
Manchester gay village is full of rainbows and flags, right next to Chinatown which is full of pagodas and paifangs, and every other bus or metro stop has a locally inspired decoration.
The walk from Blackpool North to the stadium is like the start of a Ken Loach film. More community art and identity would be quite nice IMO.