A CONTROVERSIAL hike in the cost of memorial benches around Torbay was brought in to help keep them in good condition for longer.

Torbay Council has come under fire over the cost of its memorial benches, which outstrips the prices charged by neighbouring councils and even the London borough of Westminster.

The top-drawer package in Torbay, which provides a bench in a prime seafront location and maintains it for 25 years, costs £12,000. Critics say that means a ‘two-tier’ system where benches are only available for the wealthy.

But the council says it is all part of its ‘Operation Brighter Bay’ initiative to maintain and improve public areas.

A spokesperson said: “We are committed to surveying, maintaining, and replacing benches across Torbay, including memorial benches. This work is part of a wider programme to improve public spaces, ensuring seating is safe, comfortable, and built to last.”

The new benches being rolled out as part of the programme are not standard timber garden seats, says the council, but robust, high-quality installations designed for busy parks and public areas.

Four styles are available.

The council says it recognises that memorial benches hold deep personal significance for families and the wider community, and that is why it pledges the handle the process ‘with care and respect’.

“The memorial bench pricing structure had not been reviewed for several years,” said the spokesperson. “The previous model did not account for long-term maintenance, refurbishment or even replacement to ensure benches remained in good condition.

“The revised pricing structure, which came into effect in October 2024, offers families more flexibility, including shared sponsorship opportunities.

‘This ensures that starting prices for memorial benches are lower than before, so this way of remembering loved ones is more accessible to more of our community than under all previous council schemes.”