Flowers may now be allowed on memorial benches on land owned by Barrow Council.
Controversial proposals to stop people leaving items to honour loved ones on seats in the borough were discussed by a meeting of the overview and scrutiny committee last month.
Barrow Council leader Ann Thomson outlined ahead of the meeting that the plans incorporated planting, flowers and other tributes.
But a further revision to policy would now allow for flowers – but no other tributes – to be placed on memorial benches, subject to a number of conditions.
The revised memorial benches policy says that flowers must not cover more than a quarter of the seating area of the bench.
It says that they must not be wrapped in paper or plastic and must only be placed on the bench for a reasonable period or until the flowers die – whichever is the sooner.
It also says that they must not prevent the bench being used as a seating area.
Cllr Thomson said last month that tributes were ‘subject to the weather, can present a hazard and can deteriorate quickly’.
But members of the overview and scrutiny committee, which met on December 7, expressed concerns over the planned tributes ban.
“We get enough stick as it is,” said Cllr Bill McEwan. “We will get it in the neck as an uncaring [council], it’s a dodgy situation, this.”
Cllr Colin Thomson pointed out that families only tended to leave tributes at particular times of the year, such as anniversaries and birthdays. “I can’t see anything wrong,” he said.
The committee decided to recommend that the placing of flowers be permitted – excluding cellophane.
The council’s executive committee is to meet on January 11 to discuss the revised memorial benches policy.
The policy, authored by Chris Pollard, the council’s cemeteries and crematorium manager, also states that no new memorial benches will be permitted around the coastline of Walney due to the volume already in place.
It says that benches are now to be made of recycled material rather than hardwood.
The executive committee has been advised by Mr Pollard to approve the policy.
