UK seaside town bans memorial benches as promenade 'overwhelmed' with 'graves'

A council is the first in the UK to ban memorial benches following claims they are "overwhelming" a town. The move comes after locals complained that the benches obstruct people with pushchairs and wheelchair users.

Hartlepool Borough Council, County Durham, carried out an audit of tributes and loved ones that there were 275 memorial benches in the town. The Labour-run authority has now halted future applications for memorial benches. The council has suggested grieving families plant trees in honour of their lost loved ones instead. However, locals are split over the decision to ban future memorial benches in the town.

Daniel Matthews, 40, said his family had dedicated a bench to their grandmother which was on the Headland area of the town. He said: "My mum and dad had a bench put up in memory of my nan who loved to look out to sea when she was alive.

"It was a nice place to sit and pay tribute to her but the bench started falling apart and eventually had to be removed. I don't think it's fair for the council to say Hartlepool has too many of these benches. It's a nice way to keep your memories of relatives alive."

Meanwhile, a mum, who did not want to be named, said: "It's a pain to be honest having to almost slalom the pushchair around all these benches when I'm taking my toddler out. Lots of these benches don't just have a plaque either, there are sometimes photos and flowers and teddies. They're becoming like graves rather than somewhere for people to sit on."

The future ban also threatens the profits of Teak Garden Furniture in the town, which specialises in building memorial benches.

Owner Karl Barowsky said: "Many councils operate waiting lists or limit new applications due to high demand for memorial benches. That demonstrates how important they continue to be to families. When thoughtfully planned and positioned, memorial benches can sit comfortably within public spaces.

"They support reflection, wellbeing and everyday community use, and they can enhance parks and town centres rather than detract from them. With clear guidelines and sensible management, remembrance and shared public space can work together in a balanced way. It's very frustrating, if you go to Hartlepool town centre there's benches there that have been there years that need replacing. People will pay £400 for the bench, quite happily. I just don't see the problem."

The council revealed the Headland had 115 benches, followed by Seaton Promenade with 112 and Ward Jackson Park with 48. It said it had also found several benches, which are not the responsibility of the local authority, in a poor condition.

Councillor Karen Oliver, Chair of the Housing, Growth and Communities Committee, said: "We understand that our communities want to commemorate and remember loved ones, so we acknowledge that this is a very sensitive issue.

"However, concerns regarding the proliferation of memorial benches were voiced by a number of residents during public consultations relating to conservation areas in Seaton Carew and the Headland, and a subsequent audit found a significant number of benches - particularly in these two areas but also in other parts of the borough.

"Some of these have fallen into disrepair over time. In some cases, benches obstruct pushchairs and wheelchairs, and they can also create challenges for the Council, making it difficult to remove litter, clean and weed paths because they are so close together. I want to reassure people that we have no plans for the mass removal of benches and this is very much the beginning of a process to look at how this situation can best be addressed and, moving forward, managed in an appropriate way.

"We aim to engage with the owners of benches - where we have ownership information - to agree a sympathetic approach that minimises the need for the removal of benches. While new applications for memorial benches have been paused until suitable future arrangements are agreed, I would point out that the council offers a number of alternative ways for people to remember loved ones."