A Labour-led council has stopped residents of a British seaside town from submitting any new memorial bench applications amid fears it could become “overwhelmed”.
After an internal audit, Hartlepool Borough Council discovered that certain locations had become saturated with 275 instances of commemorative seating, creating accessibility problems for residents using wheelchairs and pushchairs.
Seaton Promenade alone contains 112 benches along its 1.1km stretch, whilst the Headland area has 115 and Ward Jackson Park holds 48.
“Seaton Carew and the Headland in particular are overwhelmed with benches. So much so that you cannot walk between some, and in other cases they obstruct access for pushchairs and wheelchairs,” the council’s report found.
The audit also revealed numerous benches had deteriorated significantly, though maintenance responsibility lies with those who installed them rather than the local authority.
The decision to stop new applications has divided opinion among Hartlepool residents.
Daniel Matthews, 40, whose family installed a bench on the Headland in memory of his grandmother, said the move “wasn’t fair”.
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.”
Seaton Carew was highlighted as a hotspot for the benches
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Mr Matthews continued: “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.”
However, one mother who wished to remain anonymous backed the restrictions.
“It’s a pain to be honest having to almost slalom the pushchair around all these benches when I’m taking my toddler out,” she said, adding that many benches feature photographs, flowers and soft toys, making them “like graves rather than somewhere for people to sit on”.
The ban poses a threat to local businesses, including Teak Garden Furniture, which specialises in crafting memorial benches.
The benches have split opinions in the County Durham town
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Owner Karl Barowsky argued commemorative seating can complement public areas when installed thoughtfully.
“They support reflection, wellbeing and everyday community use, and they can enhance parks and town centres rather than detract from them,” he said.
Mr Barowsky pointed out that many councils across the country operate waiting lists due to strong demand, demonstrating the continued importance of such memorials to grieving families.
“It’s very frustrating, if you go to Hartlepool town centre, there are benches that have been there for years and that need replacing,” he said.
“People will pay £400 for the bench, quite happily. I just don’t see the problem.”
Hartlepool Borough Council confirmed they were taking the incident seriously
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Councillor Karen Oliver, who chairs the Housing, Growth and Communities Committee, acknowledged the emotional weight of the issue.
“We understand that our communities want to commemorate and remember loved ones, so we acknowledge that this is a very sensitive issue,” she said.
The councillor explained that residents had raised concerns about bench numbers during public consultations on conservation areas in Seaton Carew and the Headland.
She confirmed the council has no intention of removing benches en masse, describing the current process as the beginning of finding an appropriate long-term solution.
The authority plans to contact bench owners where records exist to agree on a sympathetic approach.
Applications will remain frozen until suitable arrangements are finalised.
However, the council is exploring alternatives, including tree planting, steel “memory trees” featuring engraved leaves, and shared benches with multiple plaques.