BONFIRE of the BENCHES
Fury after memorials to dead loved ones burned by council
THEY were dedicated by friends and family as a peaceful spot to honour and remember departed loved ones in one of the country’s most famous parks.
But yesterday an investigation was under way after around 70 memorial benches were burned by council workers.
Some of the seats, which had been in Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens, are believed to have been in memory of war heroes awarded the Victoria Cross.
The City of Edinburgh Council last night faced a barrage of criticism over the benches’ destruction after it emerged it may have been done in a bid to save money.
Local authority chiefs said the bonfire of the benches took place without their knowledge and have launched an investigation to find out who gave the go-ahead.
Until 2018, the council covered the cost of maintaining for life the benches donated by members of the public and organisations to commemorate loved ones, or those who died serving their country.
But faced with rising demands on its budget, the council imposed a new 20-year maximum period for looking after the benches before asking the original donor if they would fund a replacement.
Repairing the benches, which cost £3,925 each to buy, would have led to a council maintenance bill of around £33,000.
A whistleblower told the Edinburgh Evening News yesterday that managers had ordered staff to burn the benches at the city’s Inch depot, where they had been kept after being removed from the gardens a year ago. All their metal memorial plaques had been removed beforehand.
One resident said yesterday on social media: ‘Heads should roll for the contempt shown to the people of Edinburgh and their deceased loved ones.’
Another called the move ‘an absolute shambles and shame’.
A council spokeswoman said the burning of the benches had been ‘regrettable’, adding: ‘An investigation is under way to understand why this has happened, and appropriate action will be taken.’