COUNCILLORS are unsure as to whether they should allow people to have plaques installed on benches in Wellington Park in memory of loved ones.

Wellington Town Council’s environment committee has previously discussed having a purpose-made large memorial board placed at the entrance to the park for people to have plaques installed – but it does not really meet the requirements.

The council’s open spaces manager Darren Hill told the environment committee on January 21 that he was still getting several requests from people about having plaques put on benches.

Mr Hill said: “It is getting a bit difficult because people want to put a plaque on a bench in the park, but don’t want other plaques going on the same bench. So I’m looking again at having a plaque board, but I will do whatever the council wants.”

The mayor, Cllr Janet Lloyd, said: “It’s a difficult situation – especially if you’re getting people wanting to have a plaque on the same bench. It would be better I think if we had the plaques on a board.”

But Cllr Mike McGuffie said: “Personally, I don’t think the board is an answer as it’s not personal enough. It’s a difficult one to call.”

It was said during the meeting that people who had passed away might have had a particular favourite bench in the park that they would use and family members feel a plaque in that location would help them to be remembered.

But it is clearly becoming a headache for the council, hence why a plaque board at the entrance to the park is being discussed again.

Cllr Sean Pringle-Kosikowsky said: “Perhaps we could offer the idea of a board to people and see if they want it?”

Wellington Park was awarded the Heritage Green Flag last summer for the tenth year running, recognising the work put in by the town council since taking over the park from cash-strapped Somerset Council in April 2025.

It is a Grade II listed formal Edwardian park covering 1.8-hectares and was restored to an excellent condition in 2000 through Heritage Lottery Funding.

Mr Hill told councillors on January 21 that English Heritage did not like seeing plaques put on benches.

The mayor added: “If English Heritage doesn’t like plaques on benches, then that’s it. We don’t want to lose our Heritage Flag.”

Cllr McGuffie suggested that Mr Hill investigate to see what other local councils do with bench plaque requests.

Back in October, Mr Hill said the plaques could all be in “one spot” if they had a memorial board for loved ones who had passed away.

It was suggested that there could be an annual fee for a plaque to be on the board – which would be situated at the main entrance to the park.

But Cllr McGuffie said: “I can see problems if you start taking plaques off the board after just a year. I could see us getting adverse publicity if plaques are removed – we could be sailing into trouble.”