Bereaved parents hit out at Gosport council for 'desecrating' memorial benches at Stokes Bay

Before Gosport Borough Council changed its commemorative bench policy in November, residents who bought a bench were told it would be theirs for life.

The new rules stipulate a 10-year buffer period from the date of installation, afterwards, the applicants will have to pay a renewal fee every five years. If the applicant cannot be contacted within ten years then the bench will be taken down or replaced.

Dave and Angie Day, who live in Alverstoke, bought a bench in Stokes Bay to commemorate their son Daniel.

Mr Day said: ‘We took out the bench for our son eight years ago and we were told it would be maintained for life once we’ve paid nearly £1,000 for it.

‘We understood that the bench would be ours for life and now they’re saying that they’ll let us have it for another 10 years and after that, they’ll start charging us to maintain them which wasn't the agreement in the first place.

‘If they can’t trace the person who originally paid for the bench then they will take the plaque off the bench and sell the bench to someone else and put their plaque on it - I pointed out that this was out of order, they’re desecrating a memorial.

‘We’re not allowed to put flowers on them any more with immediate effect - the reason for that is they have to clear the flowers away and it costs money.

‘It's the flowers we’re not happy about and it’s the fact that we're going to have to start paying to maintain it and also the fact that they could change the plaque on it.’

Councillor Philip Raffaelli, chairman of the Community Board asserts there was ‘considerable’ consultation for the new bench policy.

‘The number of benches that are either currently there or which have already been agreed with residents was getting to the point where there was no room to put any more in,’ he said.

‘The council has a very good relationship with The Friends of Stokes Bay and they were raising concerns, saying there are just too many, it’s becoming a real mess.

‘It was one way of never stopping someone who wanted it to continue, but for people who have drifted off the scene or passed on themselves - over time that would open up some spaces for other people.

‘It has always been the policy that the council maintains ownership of the benches and that individuals are not allowed to put additional plaques up or flowers or any other things on the benches.’