Hartlepool Council bans new memorial benches due to overcrowding and accessibility issues, promoting trees as alternatives.

Hartlepool Council has banned new memorial benches after an audit found 275 existing ones, particularly concentrated on the Headland and Seaton Promenade, causing accessibility issues for wheelchairs and pushchairs. The Labour-run council cited maintenance challenges, overcrowding, and deteriorating conditions, though it confirmed no immediate removals of current benches. Officials are promoting tree planting and other alternatives while developing guidelines to balance remembrance with public space usability.