Campaigners welcome call for more information ahead of changes to memorial benches

There's calls for a delay on a controversial plans to increase the charges for memorial benches in Torbay - as a committee and campaigners say more information is needed.

Torbay Council's scrutiny committee says it wants to revisit the issue in June before any final decisions are made, after requesting more information.

At the moment there are proposals for four designs, with different costs, likely to be made available.

Margaret Forbes-Hamilton, chair of Torquay's Torre and Upton community partnership, says questions need answering to stop people feeling they can't afford to have plaques.

She said the plaques can carry huge personal significance and increased charges could upset those who've lost loved ones, saying: "There's one in Abbey Park for one of the gardeners who died shortly after he retired from a heart attack. This was a spot where he loved to stand in the park when he was having a break from his gardening and look out across Torbay."

She added: "All of the sudden they go to sit on a bench and the plaque is taken off or they've got a notice on it saying 'this bench is being removed' without any reference to them.

"One gentleman with a bench on the seafront in Paignton was told his bench had to be removed because of the new sea defences and if he wanted to replace it, it's going to cost him thousands of pounds. That's even though the approved plans (for the seafront) had pictures of benches in it. There must be no charge for these apart from an actual plaque. These cost less than £20 to have made."

The partnership's chair says the number of benches the policy will apply to will also need addressing, adding: "I've got a friend whose son died of cancer when he was 16 and he's got one up on the coastal path - now I'm presuming that all the ones from the coast and countryside trust are going to be covered by this policy."

The report which went before the scrutiny committee can be found here

Ms Forbes-Hamilton added: "I also think that it is unacceptable to charge more for some areas than others. Taking advantage of people's grief."

She is also concerned on the visual impact of having different style benches, potentially in the same locations.

Greatest Hits Radio has asked Torbay Council if it wishes to add anything at this time.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.