Tauranga City Council has performed a U-turn after an 82-year-old Cherrywood man accused them of being 'callous and insensitive”.

On Tuesday, an adamant council gave Geoffrey Cramond an emphatic 'no” after he asked if he could replace a memorial seat that they had uprooted from Kulim Park – a memorial seat to his late mother-in-law for which he paid $700.

Carolyn Parker and her father Geoff Cramond sitting on the remaining seat in Kulim Park. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

'Boy I was bitter,” says Geoffrey. Then a couple of days later, as The Weekend Sun was going to press, the council capitulated, and did a complete about-face.

'The council just didn't want to be seen in a bad light,” says Geoffrey.

'Power to the press and power to The Weekend Sun. You put the matter out there and you did it. But I am still bitter at the council.”

Mr Cramond was 'aggrieved” after council removed, without notice or consultation, a family memorial to Geoffrey Cramond's much loved and respected mother-in-law Olive ‘Olly' Darragh, who died in 1996.

'Criminal,” as Geoffrey puts is bluntly.

His daughter Carolyn Parker described the removal of the memorial seat and plaque from the Otumoetai park as 'obscene” and 'a blow to the whole family.”

As far back as Tuesday, when The Weekend Sun first took Geoffrey's concerns to council, they were unmoved.

'Council will maintain memorial seats for ten years,” said the council policy. 'And after ten years, should the seat be removed or replaced, there is no automatic right-of-renewal.” Council wasn't budging.

Geoffrey went to council and asked it to waive the rules. He was prepared to pay for q new seat if he could put the plaque (pictured below) back up. 'In loving memory Olive May Darragh 1902-1996” it says.

'No,” was the council response. That would not happen.

So Geoffrey came to The Weekend Sun, which asked some questions of council. It remained intransigent.

'We try to be clear with each family that the memorial seats will one day be replaced and they may become someone else's memorial.”

However they do try to be 'respectful and helpful.” But still there was no new seat and plaque for Mr Cramond and his family.

Then, on Thursday evening, a complete turnaround.

'As a result of genuine desires to get a better outcome from families who have memorial seats,” council policy was turned on its head. The council advised Geoffrey of its change of heart – but not The Weekend Sun.

'Timing and other distractions,” was the excuse offered up by council officials. But it did, however, advise other media.

Mayor Stuart Crosby also intervened, suggesting Mr Cramond be offered the option of replacing the seat and the plaque.

Did he make a call to Mr Cramond or apologise? 'No,” says Geoffrey.

Mr Cramond has a favour to ask of the Mayor: There is also a memorial seat to his late wife Shirley in Kulim Park. He wants right of renewal on that one too.

And preferably without all the unnecessary angst.